stumps 1 of 2

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
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
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
Verb
  • After viciously hitting step-back threes, trash talking anyone who dares tempt him and racking up two NBA scoring titles, Doncic just likes to stay home, maybe get lunch or play cards.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • At one point, Tillis dares Douthat to jump across the tracks of Congress’s private subway system.
    — Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The shelf with personal items has a buildup of food residues and flour dust.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The binder dissolved, allowing the electrode coatings to separate cleanly from their metal foils without leaving residues.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • His creator, an unnamed basket-weaver (Peter Dinklage), braided him as a mate for a lonely virgin, a fisherwoman (Olivia Colman) who stomps around her rustic village smelling like sushi and tossing her head back in an Eliza Doolittle guffaw.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • At one point Evans stomps in to a Fielder secondary interview to try to stop it.
    — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • In her work with CSS and the study, Uhls challenges her gut instincts on young people’s take on entertainment.
    — Mya Copeland, Variety, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Along the way, Eric meets Ivy (Lee), a sharp-witted punk rocker who challenges his perspective.
    — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The vestiges of his fading memory flash by with a haunting plainness, the melancholy of all this Americana and the sadness of a mind ravaged by time strike the viewer plainly at the end of this maximalist piece of life-writing.
    — Stephanie Wambugu, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Then the pandemic hit, and an outdoor pint became one of the last vestiges of social life.
    — Vanda Mayer, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Even as Heath stumbles his way through the lyrics, the audience respectfully claps along to the beat.
    — Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Lizard Music follows a boy (Theo Clark Leber) left to his own devices who stumbles upon a secret late-night broadcast of lizards playing otherworldly music, and a hidden door to the extraordinary swings open.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 19 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The coastal flooding in the next few days is expected to be different from earlier rounds, which were heavily influenced by powerful swells from the remnants of hurricanes Marie and Rachel.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Coastal communities in Southern California began to experience dangerous conditions over Labor Day weekend with the remnants of Hurricane Marie.
    — Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

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

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