1
as in shuffled
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 challenged
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 stumped
The divisions have stumped some of the individuals who have been trying to mediate the crisis and who can’t understand why given the problems facing Haiti, where gangs are running rampant, the country’s politicians are unable to set aside their differences.
—
Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
Still, Orlando at times this season has fallen away from its defensive identity, which in turn has stumped its offensive output.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026
The unit earned two turnovers, stumped the Seahawks on their only attempt on fourth down and only allowed 289 total yards.
—Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez, Charlotte Observer, 29 Dec. 2025
His winning streak came to an end during game five on July 8, when the final Jeopardy question about the Kennedy Center stumped all three contestants.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Dec. 2025
Now Takaichi, who took office after winning an election in October, is inheriting a decades-old problem that stumped her predecessors – and hoping to be the one to solve it.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
For years local and federal investigators were stumped by who had sent the letters and were unable to prevent the onslaught of threats for more than a decade.
—Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
House Speaker Mike Johnson stumped for Neimeyer in 2024, and the National Republican Congressional Committee has put the district on its list of 26 seats to target in 2026.
—Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 26 Aug. 2025
Thinking it over, the thing that stumped me was, what would 1/6 of a buck look like roaming through the woods?
—Chester Chatfield, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2025
Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
Still, Orlando at times this season has fallen away from its defensive identity, which in turn has stumped its offensive output.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026
The unit earned two turnovers, stumped the Seahawks on their only attempt on fourth down and only allowed 289 total yards.
—Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez, Charlotte Observer, 29 Dec. 2025
His winning streak came to an end during game five on July 8, when the final Jeopardy question about the Kennedy Center stumped all three contestants.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Dec. 2025
Now Takaichi, who took office after winning an election in October, is inheriting a decades-old problem that stumped her predecessors – and hoping to be the one to solve it.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
For years local and federal investigators were stumped by who had sent the letters and were unable to prevent the onslaught of threats for more than a decade.
—Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
House Speaker Mike Johnson stumped for Neimeyer in 2024, and the National Republican Congressional Committee has put the district on its list of 26 seats to target in 2026.
—Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 26 Aug. 2025
Thinking it over, the thing that stumped me was, what would 1/6 of a buck look like roaming through the woods?
—Chester Chatfield, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumped
Verb
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The Royals shuffled through outfielders at a rapid rate.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
7 Feb. 2026
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Johnny Rondon-Rodriguez, a Venezuelan who had been shuffled in and out of jail since his arrest earlier this month, was similarly released by senior District Judge John Antoon, who heard his case immediately following Lleo-Rodriguez’s.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The planned 90,000-square-foot project would represent the most significant change to the White House grounds in decades and is advancing even as it is challenged in court and questioned on Capitol Hill.—
Dan Diamond,
Washington Post,
14 Feb. 2026
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He’s being challenged by Kenya Franklin, a media consultant on political campaigns.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Shares stumbled last week on news about job openings in December hitting their lowest level in five years as investors tried to assess the health of the economy and figure out whether to cash in on pricey stocks.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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Both the Bobcats and Blue Devils have stumbled, and Yale is in a dogfight in the Ivy League.—
Kels Dayton,
Hartford Courant,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Women were very fashionable in Cairo and never dared go out in raggedy clothes.—
Letters To The Editor,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Critics haven’t dared sit through this yet.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The first trailer for this macho survival flick just stomped onto the internet last week with a gung-ho spirit and guns blazing.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
9 Feb. 2026
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The Seattle Seahawks stomped a mud hole in the New England Patriots.—
Prince J. Grimes,
USA Today,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stumped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumped. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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