lumbered

verb

past tense of lumber
1
as in shuffled
to move heavily or clumsily the elephant lumbered through the jungle

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stumbled
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually the novel's plot lumbers to its predictable conclusion after 500 long pages

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in rumbled
to make a low heavy rolling sound the horse-drawn wagon lumbered along the trail

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in loaded
to place a weight or burden on preparations that will lumber the expedition with unnecessary equipment and supplies

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 lumbered Travis Bazzana lumbered through August, seemingly striking the proverbial rookie wall. — Zack Meisel, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026 The man in the suit who lumbered around in the background of their lives. — Emma Cline, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2026 When the other train finally emerged through the inferno and lumbered past them, the camera man couldn’t help but exclaim. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 15 July 2026 Quietly reading my book without another soul around, a family of four lumbered up with their wagon filled with chairs, toys, an umbrella, and a cooler. — Susan B. Barnes, Southern Living, 14 July 2026 Just before Megna spoke in the hallway outside the Eagles locker room, Gagne lumbered by on crutches. — Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 11 June 2026 Many experts had thought sharks didn't exist in the frigid waters of Antarctica before this sleeper shark lumbered warily and briefly into the spotlight of a video camera, researcher Alan Jamieson said this week. — CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026 Many experts had thought sharks didn’t exist in the frigid waters of Antarctica before this sleeper shark lumbered warily and briefly into the spotlight of a video camera, researcher Alan Jamieson said this week. — ABC News, 17 Feb. 2026 Robinson said he was also cut off from food stamps in November as the longest government shutdown in history lumbered on. — Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lumbered
  1. shuffled
  2. stumbled
  3. rumbled
  4. loaded
  5. stomped
  6. struggled
  7. growled
  8. saddled
Verb
  • Because Luke’s Diner was essentially a wooden frame without insulation—and the cast and crew constantly shuffled in and out the door—the December and January shoots on the backlot could be brutal.
    — Mara Reinstein, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Offensive line shuffled up Dykes said in earlier in the week that TCU looked at everything throughout the program during the 2-3 start and would make the necessary adjustments to try and turn things around.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of shuffled
Verb
  • Russia stumbled in all three of its Phobos attempts as well as many other Mars endeavors.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Munyon's Paw-Paw, an alcoholic beverage dating to the early 1900s, has been resurrected by two longtime spirits industry veterans who stumbled upon its unusual history during a family outing.
    — Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of stumbled
Verb
  • Mahomes completed a short pass to the Chiefs tight end, who rumbled down the field, rolling down at the Chargers’ 20-yard line for a 24-yard gain.
    — Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Chez Fonfon sits at the crux of Five Points South, a neighborhood named for five streets that converge in a star shape where streetcars connecting the then suburb of Highland to the city once rumbled.
    — Leslie Pariseau, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of rumbled
Verb
  • The process sends digital instructions between devices; the odor itself comes from supplies already loaded into the wearable.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Down two, the Rays loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, but Liam Hicks grounded into what initially was ruled a game-ending double play.
    — Ryan Morik OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of loaded
Verb
  • McColley pushed Parente out onto the street and stomped his boot in the victim’s face five times, crushing Parente’s head into the pavement before fleecing his pockets and fleeing, according to the criminal complaint.
    — Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Letter writers recalled how Paden saved his father’s life when a cow nearly stomped him to death in a field, after the elder Paden came between the cow and her calf.
    — Glenn Rice, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of stomped
Verb
  • The 3-3 Knights have struggled in the Big 12 since joining the conference, but tend to be better at home in the friendly confines of the Acrisure Bounce House.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The shift signals a turning point for the left, which has historically struggled to counter the far-right’s dominant online presence and savvy digital strategy.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of struggled
Verb
  • Since then, Barkley has growled at several other people, and all but one have been diagnosed with some type of cancer, Dozier said.
    — Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 11 Aug. 2026
  • At the other end of our road, the cranes of the docks loomed — great Stothert and Pitt machines that growled overhead like something out of Star Wars, guarding the scale and mystery of the River Thames.
    — Lee Clayton, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of growled
Verb
  • Liliom obviously could have made different choices and not saddled Julie with a child and unimaginable grief.
    — Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
  • New York — The Iran war has saddled Americans with a massive energy bill that continues to mount as the conflict drags on.
    — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of saddled

Browse Nearby Words

lumber
lumbered
lumberer
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Cite this Entry

“Lumbered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lumbered. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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