STUMPING Synonyms: 60 Similar and Opposite Words

stumping

verb

present participle of stump

as in shuffling

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

as in daring

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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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 stumping Martin also has the support of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), who stood behind Martin’s chairmanship while stumping in Pennsylvania over the weekend. — Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 27 July 2026 Australia’s 2024 stinky ‘black balls’ incident This isn’t the first time mysterious balls were found on Australian beaches, stumping experts and locals alike. — Drew Pittock, USA Today, 8 July 2026 Frenzel has been stumping in favor of data center buildup and in April said that if done correctly, such centers could help bring down the cost of electricity for its customers. — Steve Gelsi, semafor.com, 14 Apr. 2026 What this entailed was gaining as much reliable information about the Soviet military as possible while stumping for an open skies policy that would allow overflights by both sides of the other's territory to prevent accidental war. — David Szondy march 29, New Atlas, 29 Mar. 2026 But one skin dilemma that’s stumping even me is why everyone thinks their skin looks so dull right now. — Jacqueline Kilikita, Refinery29, 20 Jan. 2026 After successfully stumping Consuelos with a bit of trivia of her own, a contestant named Rachel was then tasked with answering a question about recent Live guest and Virgin River actress Alexandra Breckenridge. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Dec. 2025 Elsewhere, Donald Washberg is stumping dressed like Will Rogers at the Ziegfeld Follies. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2025 With a national fundraising blitz in full swing and Election Day just around the corner, Democrats stumping for Proposition 50 have far out-raised and out-spent their opponents — even though a California megadonor with Republican ties single-handedly spent $30 million to defeat it. — Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumping

Verb

Summary The Chicago Cubs are currently shuffling their infield due to Dansby Swanson's oblique injury, moving Nico Hoerner to shortstop and Pedro Ramírez to second base.

— Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Keeping your eye on Bredeson is as hard as tracking a ball beneath shuffling cups.

— Alec Lewis, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of shuffling

Verb

Former Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Jack Irons told Gossard and Ament about a guy living in San Diego named Eddie Vedder, who had recently made an impression on Irons and his friends, Flea among them, with his daring antics on a camping trip.

— Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 27 Aug. 2026
Kimmel also just launched an unconventional — if not daring — Emmy campaign of his own.

— Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of daring

Verb

The teddy bears, the stumbling answers, the whole morning in the Cotillion was a mess.

— Noah Shachtman, Vanity Fair, 25 Aug. 2026
Calhoun, who moved to Kansas City from Ames, Iowa, in 2016, started photography during the pandemic after stumbling across a photography video on YouTube.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of stumbling

Verb

Walking in the Footsteps of the Haiku Master Walk Japan offers a range of walks and has been leading small groups since 1992, on trips that are deeply cultural and, to varying degrees, challenging.

— Everett Potter, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Trump is also challenging his conviction through the state court appellate process, which is pending.

— Michael R. Sisak, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of challenging

Browse Nearby Words

stumpers

stumping

stumps

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“Stumping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumping. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of stumping

verb

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