STUNTING Synonyms: 28 Similar and Opposite Words

stunting

verb

present participle of stunt

as in suppressing

to hold back the normal growth of unfortunately, an unusually dry summer seems to have permanently stunted the tree

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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 stunting And the factors pushing people out of the labor force have implications beyond workers paying for everyday essentials, including stunting career trajectories and impacting long-term retirement savings. — Sarah Jackson jennifer Liu, CNBC, 2 Aug. 2026 Aid agencies warn the Iran war and Nigeria’s inflation could push millions more African children into poverty this year, stunting development and deepening a humanitarian crisis with far-reaching global consequences. — Ope Adetayo, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2026 From stunting and weakening plant growth to delaying flower production, these 1/10th-inch-long pests can wreak havoc. — Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 12 June 2026 Negotiations were shelved, leading to an impasse and stunting Wilson’s development, who was recovering from keyhole ankle surgery which was worse than first thought. — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 10 June 2026 The evidence In addition to animal research, there are a handful of preliminary studies in humans suggesting colostrum may improve certain forms of inflammatory bowel syndrome, gastroenteritis, and upper respiratory tract infections, as well as stunting in children. — Ari Daniel, NPR, 1 June 2026 Sunflowers contain allelopathic compounds in all of their tissues that can impact nearby plants, reducing seed germination and stunting the growth of roots and shoots. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 30 May 2026 The good news is that growing garlic near tomatoes can protect the harvest and keep pests from stunting the growth of your plants. — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Apr. 2026 If the winds don't blow or are light, sea breezes develop, stunting any warming, especially close to the coast. — Terry Eliasen, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stunting

Verb

Many cope by masking or camouflaging — suppressing autistic traits in order to fit in.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
However, moderate levels enable the locus coeruleus to emphasize task-relevant information while suppressing background noise.

— Julian Hayes II, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of suppressing

Verb

But the index has stayed within 2% of the peak, the pullbacks so far halting a handful of points above what had been the top of the former multi-month range.

— Michael Santoli, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
Harris credited Aledo’s coaching staff for halting the Panthers' offense in the second half.

— Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of halting

Verb

But the war’s unintended consequences have spread far beyond the Middle East, affecting global security, diminishing America’s global standing, and potentially providing its adversaries with an opportunity to expand their influence.

— Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
As more money and attention flow into the space, the challenge is how to capitalize on the cultural cachet of the Grand Slams without diminishing what made that access desirable in the first place.

— Jessica Schiffer, Vogue, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of diminishing

Verb

Satellite images appear to show the avalanche blocking the river with ice and debris about 20km upstream of the Nepal-Tibet border.

— Milad Haghani, Scientific American, 27 Aug. 2026
Realtor Dell Jeanty in Northern Virginia says that some curtains or drapes may be blocking the natural light that can enhance the visual of your interior to buyers.

— Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of blocking

Verb

Dual-piston hydraulic disc brakes with 180mm rotors handle stopping duties, an important part of controlling a large fat-tire e-bike in traffic or on a downhill section.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 26 Aug. 2026
The Chiefs focused their defense on stopping Barkley, and, while he was limited to 57 rushing yards on 25 carries, that opened up things for Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who completed 17 of 22 passes.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of stopping

Verb

Advanced robotics and a rapid rollout of AI should counter the shrinking workforce, while creating enough new jobs to keep youth disaffection at bay.

— Ben Bland, semafor.com, 1 Sep. 2026
At the same time, the world’s glaciers are shrinking because of the warming planet.

— Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of shrinking

Verb

Through May, conservative activists had filed 43 anti-DEI shareholder proposals, dwarfing the number of proposals supporting DEI.

— Scott M. Curran, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
Paramount has promised to produce 30 movies a year between the two studios, dwarfing the output of any other legacy studio, and to adhere to a longer theatrical window.

— Brent Lang, IndieWire, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of dwarfing

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“Stunting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stunting. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of stunting

verb

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