lumber 1 of 2

noun

Definition of lumbernext
as in wood
tree logs as prepared for human use a huge amount of lumber will be needed to build the house

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lumber

2 of 2

verb

ˈləm-bər How to pronounce lumber (audio)
1
as in to shuffle
to move heavily or clumsily the elephant lumbered through the jungle

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to stumble
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 to rumble
to make a low heavy rolling sound the horse-drawn wagon lumbered along the trail

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4
as in to load
to place a weight or burden on preparations that will lumber the expedition with unnecessary equipment and supplies

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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 lumber
Noun
The production put out a casting call for more than 1,000 local extras, Garner said, and spent nearly $500,000 at a lumber business for set-building materials. — Haley Parsley, Sacbee.com, 30 July 2026 The growers would still be free to profit from their land by selling timber for Christmas trees, lumber, or charcoal, but would be encouraged to harvest the wood sustainably. — Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026
Verb
Imax cameras are lumbering tools that weigh 300 pounds each and roar like Cuisinart blenders. — Brent Lang, Variety, 21 July 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 See All Example Sentences for lumber
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lumber
  1. wood
  2. shuffle
  3. stumble
  4. rumble
  5. load
  6. timber
  7. stomp
  8. struggle
Noun
  • The airy interiors cement the beach house feel, with white wood paneling creating a crisp canvas for pops of turquoise and natural wood.
    — Elise Taylor, Vogue, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The crash victim, identified as a 66-year-old man, was taken out of the woods by the fire department using specialized vehicles and transferred to an ambulance which transported him to Life Star.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of wood
Verb
  • Because tokenized stocks exist alongside stablecoins and other digital assets on the same network, investors can move money between spending, saving, and investing without shuffling it across separate institutions.
    — Malana VanTyler, jsonline.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Lyman and her family stood to leave, and although none of them spoke, the sound of more than 30 mourners shuffling out of a quiet room was enough to halt the court proceedings for a moment.
    — Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of shuffle
Verb
  • According to The New York Times, a detective within the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department who had been assigned to dig into the Shakur cold case stumbled upon Davis’ memoir and used it as evidence to build his case against him.
    — Marlow Stern, Variety, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Drunken dragonrider Ulf the White's rage proves pivotal Debaucherous dragonrider Ulf White (Tom Bennett) stumbles into playing a major role in the final battle with his dragon Silverwing.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of stumble
Verb
  • Using geothermal means buildings don’t burn fossil fuels, and residents or other users aren’t bothered by rumbling air conditioners or noisy heaters, Weigert said.
    — Brian J. Rogal, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Strong thunderstorms with torrential rain rumbled through Kansas City early Thursday morning, soaking the metro with several inches of rain.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of rumble
Verb
  • Reds left-hander Andrew Abbott retired seven straight before singles by Henry Bolte and Tommy White and a walk to Jonah Heim loaded the bases in the fourth.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The Red Sox were limited to one run in the bottom of the 11th despite loading the bases with one out.
    — LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of load
Noun
  • The fire continues to burn in brush and timber areas, with minimal growth on the west side of the fire.
    — Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • More than 250 firefighters are battling the wildfire burning in sagebrush and timber in hot, dry, and unstable conditions.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of timber
Verb
  • There's almost a ballad essence to it, even though it's got that stomping kick to it.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
  • That was broken up by Owens, who stomped Gunther and then caught him with a big clothesline.
    — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of stomp
Verb
  • In this edition of the AJC On Campus Roundup, the number of Georgians struggling to pay them back has skyrocketed.
    — Jason Armesto, AJC.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Some have done so successfully, others have struggled to reach such heights.
    — Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of struggle

Browse Nearby Words

lulus
lumber
lumbered
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Cite this Entry

“Lumber.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lumber. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on lumber

Nglish: Translation of lumber for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lumber

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