stumps 1 of 2

Definition of stumpsnext
present tense third-person singular of stump
1
2
as in dares
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

stumps

2 of 2

noun

plural of stump

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stumps
Verb
This is because tendons that normally curl the toes downward (such as when cats knead your lap) pull on the amputation stumps so that the stumps rub on the ground, and no mechanism remains to oppose that action. The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026 For more than two months, a helicopter has been hard at work removing dead trees and stumps from the reservoir using a special device. Olivia Young, CBS News, 15 Jan. 2026 During the day, the birds lie motionless on the ground, blending into piles of leaves and tree stumps to hide from predators. Marina Watts, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026 Firefighters working the site of the Lachman Fire were ordered to leave the original burn scene despite tree stumps there being hot to the touch, according to a review of firefighter text messages by the Los Angeles Times last October. Greg Norman-Diamond, FOXNews.com, 7 Jan. 2026 In the forest, stumps become nurse logs that feed fungi and other key players in the biome. Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2025 This approach addresses the transparent bottle problem that stumps traditional systems. Tejasri Gururaj, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumps
Verb
  • Tristan returns home and greets James while Siegfried shuffles the woman out the window.
    Alice Burton, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
  • That is not unique — Major League Baseball’s offseason shuffles along at a deliberate pace, just as the Dodgers historically have liked.
    Katie Woo, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • For 67 years, the Cuban dictatorship has crushed dissent through tyranny, repression, persecution, and prison for anyone who dares to think differently or speak the word freedom.
    - Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2026
  • The pain and exhaustion and grief are so real and oppressive, the camera never dares set a foot outside.
    Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Founded in 2016 by chemist Francesco Merlino, the Stella McCartney collaborator positioned its technology at the intersection of green chemistry, agriculture and materials innovation, transforming agricultural residues into high-value biomaterials.
    Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 12 Mar. 2026
  • The trash may be full of sticky residues, sweet liquids, and food scraps that wasps like.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Ellie stomps back to the crew mess to whine about it to Jenna and Ben.
    Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2026
  • As skyscrapers towered over them, their cheers, chants and stomps wove through downtown Dallas.
    Jessica Ma, Dallas Morning News, 18 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Aguado says one possible path forward is filing a habeas corpus petition, which challenges the legality of Sousa's detention and could potentially lead to her release.
    Chelsea Jones, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
  • Aguado said one possible path forward is filing a habeas corpus petition, which challenges the legality of Sousa’s detention and could potentially lead to her release.
    Chelsea Jones, Miami Herald, 17 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The movie follows Rick Power (Rudd), a wedding band singer who stumbles into a late-night jam session with former boy band star Danny (Jonas) and reignites his passion for songwriting.
    Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026
  • West stumbles into the kitchen looking for some buffalo-chicken dip, wearing only a pair of shorts and a smile.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 11 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Like generations of potential treatments before it, KRSA-028 is designed to break down a protein called amyloid that clumps up in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.
    Allison DeAngelis, STAT, 18 Feb. 2026
  • However, sometimes the abnormal IgA (the antibody that clumps up and causes problems) does run in families.
    Brandi Jones, Health, 15 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • In 2022, the economy was still rebounding strongly from COVID, with the vestiges of a big fiscal stimulus at its back.
    John Cassidy, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
  • Nowhere in the vestiges of what was once the sprawl of corporate hugeness known as The General Electric Company are there signs that Katharine Blodgett's laboratory notebooks still exist.
    Natalia Sánchez Loayza, Scientific American, 13 Mar. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stumps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumps. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on stumps

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster