1
as in to shuffle
to move heavily or clumsily
the seemingly endless parade finally ended, and the drummers and tuba players stumped wearily to their buses
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Recent Examples of stump
Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
Out to Brunch A mid-day event that requires slightly dressier attire can sometimes stump me, but wearing this jacket, shorts, and heeled sandals has proven to be an ideal combination for comfort and style.
—Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 19 Apr. 2026
Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026
This tree house goes down rather than up—a few steps will take you into a 20-foot room created by hollowing out the base of a still-living giant redwood stump.
—Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stump
Verb
The question stumped them, but only to some extent.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
Out to Brunch A mid-day event that requires slightly dressier attire can sometimes stump me, but wearing this jacket, shorts, and heeled sandals has proven to be an ideal combination for comfort and style.
—Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 19 Apr. 2026
Noun
On June 28, the suspect took photos practicing with his shotgun and shooting at a stump in the woods, according to search warrant returns from Apple.
—Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026
This tree house goes down rather than up—a few steps will take you into a 20-foot room created by hollowing out the base of a still-living giant redwood stump.
—Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stump
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stump
Verb
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Women in America’s boardrooms made strides as corporations shuffled their mostly White and male lineups in the face of the historic pushback in 2020.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
-
Tall soldiers in bearskin caps shuffled a few inches to the left, or right, to give the parade its proper visual proportions.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
Verb
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But, more than just a fun commotion on a Tuesday night, Rex's daring getaway shows just how challenging owning a sulcata tortoise can be, even though the pet trade is so widespread that sulcata ownership featured as a punchline in a Saturday Night Live sketch.—
Alina Hartounian,
NPR,
18 May 2026
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Sasha picks up the smoking ruins and throws it into the foliage, clearing the road for any tires that dare to tread.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026
Noun
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Meanwhile, 24 eateries, including a local cafe, received citations for health code violations such as brown residue in the ice machine, a lack of quaternary ammonia test strips and improperly cooled food.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
May 15,
Sacbee.com,
15 May 2026
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Biodegradable waste consists of organic materials, such as food scraps, vegetable peels, paper, leaves, and agricultural residues, that can be decomposed naturally through microbial processes.—
Aman Kumar,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Grgich stomped grapes at age 3.—
Mark Dent,
HubSpot,
15 May 2026
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International researchers have officially identified Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis, a massive dinosaur that has stomped its way into the record books as the largest ever found in Southeast Asia.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), there is no residency requirement to file a lawsuit challenging a project’s environmental review.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
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Bates also expressed concern that, under the Administration’s view of the case, its determination that the Presidential Records Act is unconstitutional cannot be challenged in court.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
Noun
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The old refuse was collected into a single pile in the 1950s and newer operations continued to accumulate waste there, per DRMS.—
Logan Smith,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
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But some of that refuse, the ghost recalls, found a second life in the hands of a woman named Cara.—
Omari Weekes,
The New York Review of Books,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In other words, voters didn’t accidentally stumble into supporting term limits.—
Jovani Patterson,
Baltimore Sun,
16 May 2026
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The Bucs gave up nearly 26 points per game in the final two months of the season while stumbling to a 2-7 finish.—
John Romano,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 May 2026
Noun
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The deal has a slew of other provisions, including improvements on residuals and 3% annual increases in minimum rates.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
12 May 2026
-
The union represents 116 members, who work in areas including legal, communications and residuals.—
Boston Herald Wire Services,
Boston Herald,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stump.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stump. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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