as in suppressing
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 stunting
From stunting and weakening plant growth to delaying flower production, these 1/10th-inch-long pests can wreak havoc.
—
Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 12 June 2026
Negotiations were shelved, leading to an impasse and stunting Wilson’s development, who was recovering from keyhole ankle surgery which was worse than first thought.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 10 June 2026
The evidence In addition to animal research, there are a handful of preliminary studies in humans suggesting colostrum may improve certain forms of inflammatory bowel syndrome, gastroenteritis, and upper respiratory tract infections, as well as stunting in children.
—Ari Daniel, NPR, 1 June 2026
Sunflowers contain allelopathic compounds in all of their tissues that can impact nearby plants, reducing seed germination and stunting the growth of roots and shoots.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 30 May 2026
Bond yields around the world are rising, a spooky development that could easily weigh on economic growth by stunting consumer spending and capital investment.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 22 May 2026
The good news is that growing garlic near tomatoes can protect the harvest and keep pests from stunting the growth of your plants.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Apr. 2026
If the winds don't blow or are light, sea breezes develop, stunting any warming, especially close to the coast.
—Terry Eliasen, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
Jokic dropped his right shoulder into Wembanyama, spun away from a stunting second defender on his left pivot foot, then planted his right at the elbow for take-off.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 5 Apr. 2026
Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 12 June 2026
Negotiations were shelved, leading to an impasse and stunting Wilson’s development, who was recovering from keyhole ankle surgery which was worse than first thought.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 10 June 2026
The evidence In addition to animal research, there are a handful of preliminary studies in humans suggesting colostrum may improve certain forms of inflammatory bowel syndrome, gastroenteritis, and upper respiratory tract infections, as well as stunting in children.
—Ari Daniel, NPR, 1 June 2026
Sunflowers contain allelopathic compounds in all of their tissues that can impact nearby plants, reducing seed germination and stunting the growth of roots and shoots.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 30 May 2026
Bond yields around the world are rising, a spooky development that could easily weigh on economic growth by stunting consumer spending and capital investment.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 22 May 2026
The good news is that growing garlic near tomatoes can protect the harvest and keep pests from stunting the growth of your plants.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Apr. 2026
If the winds don't blow or are light, sea breezes develop, stunting any warming, especially close to the coast.
—Terry Eliasen, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
Jokic dropped his right shoulder into Wembanyama, spun away from a stunting second defender on his left pivot foot, then planted his right at the elbow for take-off.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 5 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stunting
Verb
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But the country’s key tool for suppressing the pest — a facility that breeds sterile flies to halt reproduction of the parasite — isn’t slated to begin operating until November 2027.—
Ilena Peng,
Fortune,
13 June 2026
-
The health care provider would then diagnose a player with Parkinson’s and, usually, issue a prescription for levodopa, a medicine that treats Parkinson’s by masking or suppressing symptoms.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
10 June 2026
Verb
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An elderly Syrian man also was set to be deported to the Central African Republic but received an emergency temporary order halting his deportation, his lawyer Margaret Stock said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 June 2026
-
Imagine latency issues halting activity on a trading floor.—
Scott Fulton,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
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The delay also would push the removal into the middle of the night, diminishing the audience watching the event in person or on TV.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
12 June 2026
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Once the scene resurfaced online some ten years later, internet users leveraged the phrase as a way to distinguish those who were musically superior (who had the range) and those who were not, diminishing them regardless of their popularity.—
Dr. Marcus Collins,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
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California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Secertary of State Shirley Weber filed a lawsuit on Friday aimed at blocking a Shasta County ballot initiative that would set up a range of new voting rules.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
13 June 2026
-
The bill would require an assessment of figures blocking humanitarian aid delivery, extend the authorization for the vacant Special Envoy to Sudan position, and direct the State Department to designate the Rapid Support Forces as a group for sanctions.—
Adrian Elimian,
semafor.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
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Fans can also pick up souvenir maps when stopping at the attraction this summer.—
Chiara Kim,
PEOPLE,
16 June 2026
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Things to do along the Little Parkway Southern Living recommends stopping at several of the High Country’s most popular attractions, including Grandfather Mountain, where visitors can cross the Mile High Swinging Bridge, explore the Wilson Center for Nature Discovery and access nearby trails.—
Evan Moore,
Charlotte Observer,
16 June 2026
Verb
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As Variety explored at length in a cover story last year, this group of filmmakers have been marginalized in a post-streaming world of shrinking budgets.—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
17 June 2026
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The window is closing Lawmakers still have options, but the menu is shrinking fast.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
At Next Health, the high-dose IV runs $1,000, dwarfing the standard $199 drip on the same page.—
Allison Palmer,
Sacbee.com,
16 June 2026
-
That's a massive leap in AI power, dwarfing anything that modern NPU hardware can produce.—
Brian Westover,
PC Magazine,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stunting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stunting. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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