stumps 1 of 2

present tense third-person singular of stump
1
2
as in dares
to invite (someone) to take part in a contest or to perform a feat when my grandfather was a kid, he and his friends would stump one another to dive into the local swimming hole

Synonyms & Similar Words

stumps

2 of 2

noun

plural of stump

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stumps
Noun
This approach addresses the transparent bottle problem that stumps traditional systems. Tejasri Gururaj, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumps
Verb
  • Gakpo is deeper, and Wirtz pushes forward as the central member of Liverpool’s forward line, while Ekitike shuffles across as the left of the trio.
    Mark Carey, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Because global air travel shuffles millions of people around the world daily, an outbreak of a very contagious disease anywhere can become a threat everywhere.
    Amy E. Stambach, The Conversation, 12 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Yet no less worthy are the moments of self-correction, when a thinker dares to undo what once seemed certain.
    Shai Tubali, Big Think, 30 Sep. 2025
  • The commentary on how responsibilities take over our lives, forcing us to dismiss what’s truly valuable, never dares to substantially poke at the reasons why this occurs, such as economic inequality, lack of opportunities and corporate greed.
    Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 30 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Wash them regularly to remove residues that attract wasps, says Raupp.
    Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 13 Oct. 2025
  • The hair that would otherwise sprout from his postpubescent body has been replaced by the residues of fire—that Promethean symbol of dawning human specialness.
    Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Mussolini stomps and swirls around, the camera keeping him and his increasingly frenzied supporters in sight.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
  • The guy just f****** stomps right on my face.
    Andrew Ravens‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • However, scientists led by the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) have now identified a 21st phase of water that challenges existing models of ice formation.
    Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Nelson systematically challenges each pillar of Roberts's argument.
    Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Things do get more interesting when Mia stumbles upon an improbable house in the middle of the woods, occupied by a witchy old lady (Robin Bartlett).
    Dennis Harvey, Variety, 13 Oct. 2025
  • The film follows a finance guy named Alex (Arnett), who after splitting from his wife Tess (Laura Dern), stumbles into an unlikely hobby as a standup comic.
    Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The alum then clumps the smaller, suspended fats together for easy removal.
    Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 21 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Crafted nearly a century ago, the home is filled with eye-catching vestiges of the past alongside modern upgrades.
    Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 8 Sep. 2025
  • The tracks, gun-barrel straight, are some of the only working vestiges of the Cape-to-Cairo railway, the 19th century British imperial boondoggle that aimed to tie the continent together from Egypt to South Africa.
    The Editors, Outside, 31 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Stumps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumps. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

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