1
as in shambling
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Dissimilar Words
2
as in plodding
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in shuffling
to move heavily or clumsily
the elephant lumbered through the jungle
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stumbling
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually
the novel's plot lumbers to its predictable conclusion after 500 long pages
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3
4
as in loading
to place a weight or burden on
preparations that will lumber the expedition with unnecessary equipment and supplies
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of lumbering
Kristi Swartz, AJC.com, 30 Jan. 2026
During the announcement, a lumbering Frankenstein’s Monster appeared on the set with Thompson and Mitchell.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Over the course of his career, Stradivari went from making large, lumbering cellos to creating smaller, more innovative ones that became the blueprint for the modern instrument.
—John Phipps, New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2026
So, the lumbering maw that is our leader is likely to gobble it up.
—Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 16 Jan. 2026
What begins as a slow, lumbering triplet rhythm gradually morphs into a fleet and elegant quasi-acid jam; drums that start off gently turn tough and clattering before the whole thing fades out in a soft sunset glow.
—Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 14 Jan. 2026
The Celtics pounded the paint with Neemias Queta and Luka Garza, a pair of bruising bigs who also can force the issue from 3-point range despite their lumbering dispositions.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
There’s also a massive leg lumbering in the distance which could be a Sentinel, the gigantic, mutant-hunting robots that are some of X-Men’s most iconic villains.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 6 Jan. 2026
The mood in Russia is hard to gauge – criticizing the military can land a person in jail – and the economy keeps lumbering along, despite slowing growth and a Ukrainian campaign of strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, the cornerstone of Moscow’s economic power.
—Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 31 Dec. 2025
Verb
The North Atlantic right whale, Latin name Eubalaena glacialis, is one of three species of the lumbering giants.
—Kristi Swartz, AJC.com, 30 Jan. 2026
During the announcement, a lumbering Frankenstein’s Monster appeared on the set with Thompson and Mitchell.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Over the course of his career, Stradivari went from making large, lumbering cellos to creating smaller, more innovative ones that became the blueprint for the modern instrument.
—John Phipps, New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2026
So, the lumbering maw that is our leader is likely to gobble it up.
—Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 16 Jan. 2026
What begins as a slow, lumbering triplet rhythm gradually morphs into a fleet and elegant quasi-acid jam; drums that start off gently turn tough and clattering before the whole thing fades out in a soft sunset glow.
—Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 14 Jan. 2026
The Celtics pounded the paint with Neemias Queta and Luka Garza, a pair of bruising bigs who also can force the issue from 3-point range despite their lumbering dispositions.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
There’s also a massive leg lumbering in the distance which could be a Sentinel, the gigantic, mutant-hunting robots that are some of X-Men’s most iconic villains.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 6 Jan. 2026
The mood in Russia is hard to gauge – criticizing the military can land a person in jail – and the economy keeps lumbering along, despite slowing growth and a Ukrainian campaign of strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, the cornerstone of Moscow’s economic power.
—Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 31 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lumbering
Adjective
-
One rarely gains a sense of what people look like (beyond the son’s bulky physique and shambling movements, in which the mother ‘caught a flash of her brother’).—
Dan Sheehan,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
-
These movies—including the seven-hour-long Sátántangó, a centerpiece of which is a shambling dance in a barroom—often swap the meandering sentence for a single camera shot that lasts 10 minutes or more.—
Walt Hunter,
The Atlantic,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Where the film falters is in its plodding rhythm and clunky dialogue, much of which is delivered too flatly by actors who don’t exactly steal their scenes.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Feb. 2026
-
At a plodding pace, the desert wilderness can be admired in all its granular splendor.—
Anna Zacharias,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Bridgerton treats it as though every woman got multiples of their yearbook photo to hand around as headshots, and Benedict’s taking what would have been treasured personal heirlooms and just shuffling through them and tossing out anyone with the wrong hair color.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Silvia showed them little affection or attention, shuffling quickly through the infants to feed, change, or hold them.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Reports of stumbling, slipping on the ice or just the indignity of having to yield to a robot were among common complaints submitted, Robertson said.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The latest trailer finds Mario and Luigi stumbling upon the green lizard in a spooky cave.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The song’s rumbling bass shook the room as the crowd went berserk and phones launched into the air, capturing the whole thing for the feeds where Esdeekid’s music, so far, has thrived.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
7 Feb. 2026
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The bass extension reaches down to a rumbling 5Hz, allowing low-frequency detail to be reproduced cleanly rather than boosted artificially.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Castle logged 22 minutes against the Mavs, loading the box score with 18 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals.—
Jeff McDonald,
San Antonio Express-News,
6 Feb. 2026
-
And the two front-runners are loading up.—
Adam Beam,
AJC.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
And this seems a little wobbly.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Market questions Another important factor has been a wobbly stock market this year, Friday’s massive rally notwithstanding.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The process is cumbersome, deliberate, sluggish … and long overdue.—
Bill Swank,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
-
One approach is to reform outdated and cumbersome permitting processes so clean energy projects, such as for solar and wind power — along with more transmission lines — can be added to our grid more quickly.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lumbering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lumbering. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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