as in dwarf
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as in suppressed
to hold back the normal growth of
unfortunately, an unusually dry summer seems to have permanently stunted the tree
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Recent Examples of stunted
Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 3 Apr. 2026
But with the last pre-war shipments of Middle East oil yet to reach their destinations, the second and third-order effects of the crisis — stunted crops and factory blackouts — have yet to hit, Semafor’s business editor argued.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 2 Apr. 2026
The shooting caused severe brain damage and left him disabled, with stunted brain development and problems with both short and long term memory, his attorney said.
—Lauren Victory, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
Musty, oppressive Victorian ideals have warped the young Forsytes into ugly, stunted nightmare people.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2026
The plant will form stunted shoots and leaves along with unattractive brown spots.
—Michelle Mastro, Architectural Digest, 24 Mar. 2026
Gould said fossil fuel emissions are associated with various cancers, an increase in hospitalizations for older adults due to respiratory conditions, and asthma attacks or stunted lung growth in children.
—Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
That stunted dynamic all puts the dramatic onus of the season on Jolyon’s and Louisa’s relationship, made impossible both by class and by Francis’s political machinations for her husband.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 23 Mar. 2026
Avoid pruning more than one-third of the growth, as this can lead to stunted blooms.
—Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 16 Mar. 2026
Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026
Items from the archives have dominated the red carpet in the last couple years, as a slew of creative director changes stunted the showcase of new designs.
—Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 15 Mar. 2026
Also, the frantic movement among players and coaches during the NIL era has perhaps stunted the growth of college quarterbacks.
—Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Ensuing blackouts have hit essential sectors, namely health care, while a lack of fuel has stunted the island’s vital tourism industry.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 17 Feb. 2026
But the steady deterioration of what used to be Twitter has stunted the conversations on the app.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 15 Feb. 2026
In fact, all members of the cabbage family can be stunted by clubroot, which is more likely to infect roots in acidic soil.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 4 Feb. 2026
Van der Westhuizen loved to play cricket and rugby, but the segregationist apartheid regime stunted that dream by restricting him from testing his mettle with talented Black athletes.
—Eve Fairbanks, The Dial, 27 Jan. 2026
Every time Young would have a positive play or two, a drive would be stunted by a penalty or an execution setback.
—Mike Kaye
updated January 3, Charlotte Observer, 4 Jan. 2026
Adjective
Corn that is overcrowded or planted too close together can lead to competition for resources such as water and nutrients, resulting in stunted, smaller, and underdeveloped ears.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 3 Apr. 2026
But with the last pre-war shipments of Middle East oil yet to reach their destinations, the second and third-order effects of the crisis — stunted crops and factory blackouts — have yet to hit, Semafor’s business editor argued.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 2 Apr. 2026
The shooting caused severe brain damage and left him disabled, with stunted brain development and problems with both short and long term memory, his attorney said.
—Lauren Victory, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
Musty, oppressive Victorian ideals have warped the young Forsytes into ugly, stunted nightmare people.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2026
The plant will form stunted shoots and leaves along with unattractive brown spots.
—Michelle Mastro, Architectural Digest, 24 Mar. 2026
Gould said fossil fuel emissions are associated with various cancers, an increase in hospitalizations for older adults due to respiratory conditions, and asthma attacks or stunted lung growth in children.
—Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
That stunted dynamic all puts the dramatic onus of the season on Jolyon’s and Louisa’s relationship, made impossible both by class and by Francis’s political machinations for her husband.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 23 Mar. 2026
Avoid pruning more than one-third of the growth, as this can lead to stunted blooms.
—Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 16 Mar. 2026
Verb
Niantic Spatial’s Visual Positioning System, or VPS, solves a problem that has quietly stunted the autonomous delivery industry.
—Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026
Items from the archives have dominated the red carpet in the last couple years, as a slew of creative director changes stunted the showcase of new designs.
—Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 15 Mar. 2026
Also, the frantic movement among players and coaches during the NIL era has perhaps stunted the growth of college quarterbacks.
—Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Ensuing blackouts have hit essential sectors, namely health care, while a lack of fuel has stunted the island’s vital tourism industry.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 17 Feb. 2026
But the steady deterioration of what used to be Twitter has stunted the conversations on the app.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 15 Feb. 2026
In fact, all members of the cabbage family can be stunted by clubroot, which is more likely to infect roots in acidic soil.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 4 Feb. 2026
Van der Westhuizen loved to play cricket and rugby, but the segregationist apartheid regime stunted that dream by restricting him from testing his mettle with talented Black athletes.
—Eve Fairbanks, The Dial, 27 Jan. 2026
Every time Young would have a positive play or two, a drive would be stunted by a penalty or an execution setback.
—Mike Kaye
updated January 3, Charlotte Observer, 4 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stunted
Adjective
-
Amateur astronomers can squint into an eight-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope and learn how to identify a dwarf galaxy from a planetary nebula.—
Mark Johanson,
Outside,
18 Mar. 2026
-
This dwarf morning glory flower is great for borders, containers or even as a groundcover.—
Mary Grace Granados
Special Contributor,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Knowing that any unauthorized demonstrations are harshly suppressed, activists have tried to organize authorized rallies, plastered posters on walls and notice boards, and filed lawsuits.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
This process enhances grain connectivity while reducing porosity, resulting in improved electrical conductivity and suppressed lattice thermal conductivity, as per the release.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
While much of the Yucatan peninsula is covered by rain forest, the landscape designers improved on nature here creating a jungle that is less scrubby than the real thing and instead planted with dramatic Mexican fan palms and other tropical trees that create a solid green wall.—
John Newton,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Banks are fringed with grasses and scrubby trees, as colorful hills slant down to the water.—
Roger Naylor,
AZCentral.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
All-male alliances like Christian/Devens and Coach’s bro-down have dwarfed the screen time allotted to Kamilla/Dee/Tiffany and Tiffany/Aubry.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Those contracts will be dwarfed by Carlsson and Bedard when their entry-level deals expire at the end of the season, as the NHL’s salary cap rises.—
Dan Robson,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
With little more than a few beach chairs and a tiny oceanfront bar, these cozy accommodations feel perfectly remote and removed, just what the doctor ordered for your stay on Anegada.—
Carley Rojas Avila,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The flashes occurred as tiny fragments of cosmic material, or micrometeoroids, impacted the lunar surface.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In the immediate aftermath of the incident, Hulu announced that filming on the latest season of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives would be halted amid reports of the altercation and a police investigation in Draper, Utah.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The appellate court halted the order on an appeal.—
Mike Schneider,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Launching as soon as 2035, LISA could sense waves from much more massive mergers of supermassive black holes rather than the waves from puny 50-stellar-mass black holes that are within LIGO’s purview.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
8 Apr. 2026
-
For weeks voter polls have found that three Democrats are locked in a tie, albeit at a puny level, around 10%, while the other five Democrats are buried in single digits.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Atkins also was diminished during the latter part of the season by a calf strain, which sidelined her for several weeks.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
-
None of this has diminished the ambition of the budget’s spending side.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stunted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stunted. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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