1
as in shuffles
to move heavily or clumsily
the seemingly endless parade finally ended, and the drummers and tuba players stumped wearily to their buses
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Recent Examples of stumps
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
Firefighters working the site of the Lachman Fire were ordered to leave the original burn scene despite tree stumps there being hot to the touch, according to a review of firefighter text messages by the Los Angeles Times last October.
—Greg Norman-Diamond, FOXNews.com, 7 Jan. 2026
In the forest, stumps become nurse logs that feed fungi and other key players in the biome.
—Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2025
This approach addresses the transparent bottle problem that stumps traditional systems.
—Tejasri Gururaj, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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
Firefighters working the site of the Lachman Fire were ordered to leave the original burn scene despite tree stumps there being hot to the touch, according to a review of firefighter text messages by the Los Angeles Times last October.
—Greg Norman-Diamond, FOXNews.com, 7 Jan. 2026
In the forest, stumps become nurse logs that feed fungi and other key players in the biome.
—Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2025
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
-
Tristan returns home and greets James while Siegfried shuffles the woman out the window.—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
-
That is not unique — Major League Baseball’s offseason shuffles along at a deliberate pace, just as the Dodgers historically have liked.—
Katie Woo,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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People demand consistent application of laws that are riddled with subjective anomalies, then bemoan a lack of common sense whenever an official dares to interpret a rule too literally.—
Graham Scott,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
And maybe one of those records was… The bard of New England dares to get meaningful on this two-part song, which begins by pondering the mysteries of time and ends with a singalong ode to seasonal renewal.—
Brett Milano,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
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While organic residues such as compost can help cushion the effects of compaction, excessive traffic will degrade these materials over time.—
Nora Doonan,
Hartford Courant,
4 Apr. 2026
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The Environmental Working Group found that potatoes were one of the top vegetables to contain pesticide residues.—
Eleesha Lockett,
Verywell Health,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Ellie stomps back to the crew mess to whine about it to Jenna and Ben.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
10 Mar. 2026
-
As skyscrapers towered over them, their cheers, chants and stomps wove through downtown Dallas.—
Jessica Ma,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Blending investigative storytelling, history, and personal narrative, The Vodou Project challenges old perceptions and celebrates the spiritual and cultural heritage at the heart of Haitian identity.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Phillip frequently challenges Jennings, but her most notable rebuke involved fitness trainer Jillian Michaels in August last year.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The action film stars Bob Odenkirk as a small town sheriff who stumbles on a larger conspiracy following a local bank robbery.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
19 Apr. 2026
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Based on a true story, Erin Brockovich follows the titular law firm worker who stumbles upon records involving the Pacific Gas & Electric Company's culpability in a contamination incident.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Like generations of potential treatments before it, KRSA-028 is designed to break down a protein called amyloid that clumps up in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.—
Allison DeAngelis,
STAT,
18 Feb. 2026
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However, sometimes the abnormal IgA (the antibody that clumps up and causes problems) does run in families.—
Brandi Jones,
Health,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Now, plans are finally underway to remove the rotting vestiges of the structure.—
Kathleen Hill,
The Providence Journal,
28 Mar. 2026
-
In 2022, the economy was still rebounding strongly from COVID, with the vestiges of a big fiscal stimulus at its back.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stumps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumps. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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