stumps 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of stump
1
as in shuffles
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 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
as in residues

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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
Tree stumps can also be carved into garden art or used as a pedestal for a large container or statue. — Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Sep. 2026 Ann Braunstein lives off of Hutchison Road where branches and stumps line her street as well. — Marissa Perlman, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026 Learn more about why some stumps regrow and how to stop them. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 2 Aug. 2026 Turkey tail grows on dead logs and tree stumps in overlapping layers that resemble a wild bird’s plumage. — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 26 June 2026 Or arrange a bunch of tree stumps around a fire pit to create seating that the kids will love. — Jenny Hughes, The Spruce, 25 May 2026 Ancient artifacts found beneath Cape Canaveral Space Force Station as one mystery still stumps researchers. — FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026 David Hogg stumps for Mai Vang in 7th District primary. — Sacbee.com, 11 May 2026 In 1938, Pennington pitched a tent outside the hiring hall for workers building the Shasta Dam, set up some tree stumps for seats and started hawking grub. — Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumps
  1. shuffles
  2. dares
  3. residues
  4. stomps
  5. challenges
  6. vestiges
  7. stumbles
  8. remnants
Verb
  • My brother looks at the floor, mumbles something, and then shuffles away from the table.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The line shuffles forward quickly, and my heart knots in my chest as Heartfillers are dosed to each person up ahead.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of shuffles
Verb
  • Even an ordinary staircase practically dares you to stare at it long enough to convince yourself something moved.
    — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
  • There is real hope of a postseason push, with the disgusting state of the American League leaving the door open for any team that dares to play well.
    — Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of dares
Noun
  • During the 19th century, factories and processing plants brought raw materials together in unprecedented quantities and consolidated their unwanted residues in the same sites.
    — Edward D. Melillo, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026
  • First, the continuous scouring action of the water jet removes slag and oxidized sputtering residues, producing a clean processing interface with smooth inner walls and vertical groove profiles.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of residues
Verb
  • Godzilla Minus Zero stomps into theaters in Japan on November 3 and in North America on November 6.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Joined by his crew, Shakur stomps him out before the stunned gamblers and boxing fans.
    — Jeff Weiss, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of stomps
Verb
  • Zahir Islam, PhD, a physicist at ANL, and co-author of the study, said the finding challenges a common assumption in microelectronics that the substrate beneath a thin film simply acts as a passive support.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Jankowski’s Crying for the March of Humanity challenges this distinction by remaking an entire episode of the Mexican telenovela, La que no podía amar (The One Who Couldn’t Love, 2011), replacing all 40-some-minutes of dialogue with crying.
    — Damaly Gonzalez, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of challenges
Noun
  • Then the pandemic hit, and an outdoor pint became one of the last vestiges of social life.
    — Vanda Mayer, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The only vestiges of social order are a vigilante police force and the power company.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of vestiges
Verb
  • An irresolvable knot of wickedness who acts on impulse and has seemingly no capacity for empathy, Cathy stumbles into the heart of the Trask family’s jealousy and ambition.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
  • But here, too, Wladyka stumbles, opting for a comforting but pat ending about how dance and art enliven so many lives.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of stumbles
Noun
  • The threat of flooding continues Thursday in both Texas and across the Corn Belt, driven by the remnants of Hurricane Polo.
    — Matthew Cappucci, Washington Post, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Southern California has had a particularly swampy summer, thanks to tropical storm remnants and unusually warm ocean temperatures.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of remnants

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Stumps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumps. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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