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
Verb
Or arrange a bunch of tree stumps around a fire pit to create seating that the kids will love. Jenny Hughes, The Spruce, 25 May 2026 Ancient artifacts found beneath Cape Canaveral Space Force Station as one mystery still stumps researchers. FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026 David Hogg stumps for Mai Vang in 7th District primary. Sacbee.com, 11 May 2026 In 1938, Pennington pitched a tent outside the hiring hall for workers building the Shasta Dam, set up some tree stumps for seats and started hawking grub. Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026 Also, check rocks, stumps or logs before sitting down. Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026 This is because tendons that normally curl the toes downward (such as when cats knead your lap) pull on the amputation stumps so that the stumps rub on the ground, and no mechanism remains to oppose that action. The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026 For more than two months, a helicopter has been hard at work removing dead trees and stumps from the reservoir using a special device. Olivia Young, CBS News, 15 Jan. 2026 During the day, the birds lie motionless on the ground, blending into piles of leaves and tree stumps to hide from predators. Marina Watts, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumps
Verb
  • At the sound of morning prayers, an older Clarissa awakens from this dream and shuffles out to her lawn, where the leafy bush has been replaced with the industrial skyline of Lagos.
    Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026
  • Tristan returns home and greets James while Siegfried shuffles the woman out the window.
    Alice Burton, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The Amazon show dares to dream that romantic love need not be a clash of wills.
    Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
  • Her healing skills soon prove invaluable, but her wild, curious nature unsettles the monks as an evil count threatens to destroy anyone who dares protect her.
    Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 19 May 2026
Noun
  • Leafy Greens Another staple on lists of produce with higher pesticide residues is leafy greens such as spinach, kale, and collard greens.
    Lynn Andriani, Martha Stewart, 14 June 2026
  • The trash may be full of sticky residues, sweet liquids, and food scraps that wasps like.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 6 June 2026
Verb
  • Suddenly, the trees part and a Tyrannosaurus rex stomps into view.
    RJ Mackenzie, Popular Science, 11 June 2026
  • Set in the evening, the scene broods as an unknown figure, only identifiable by his terrible Lego haircut and furry boots, stomps toward the Stallion Saloon.
    Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 3 June 2026
Verb
  • The case challenges the agency’s practice of holding noncitizens for sometimes days in facilities without a bed or other adequate accommodations.
    Michael Loria, USA Today, 24 June 2026
  • That’s what makes shadow AI fundamentally different from the shadow IT challenges companies have dealt with for years.
    Syed Ali, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
Noun
  • Making Juneteenth a national holiday is the closest our country has gotten to acknowledging the truth about enslavement and its vestiges.
    Marcus Anthony Hunter, Time, 19 June 2026
  • Centuries later, their vestiges resurface.
    Jenny S. Li, Variety, 17 June 2026
Verb
  • After a rocky start, Joey stumbles on some talents and goes to great lengths to impress Leonard in his audition for a play.
    Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 10 June 2026
  • The first robot stumbles on aluminum debris, its wheels furiously trying to get traction and move around the obstacle.
    Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
Noun
  • The heavy rain, fueled in part by the remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur, drenched much of the Southeast from Texas to the Florida Panhandle, causing flash flood emergencies, washing out roads, and prompting emergency rescues.
    Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 20 June 2026
  • In the South, including in eastern Texas, Louisiana, southern Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia, the remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur continue to sweep through the region.
    Denise Chow, NBC news, 20 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Stumps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumps. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.

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