1
a
: one of two poles each with a rest or strap for the foot used to elevate the wearer above the ground in walking
b
: a pile or post serving as one of the supports of a structure above ground or water level
2
plural also stilt
: any of several very long-legged 3-toed shorebirds (genera Himantopus and Cladorhynchus) that are related to the avocets, frequent inland ponds and marshes, and nest in small colonies
Examples of stilt in a Sentence
Noun
a circus performer walking on stilts
Recent Examples on the Web
Stephanie Hanes, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Jan. 2025
San Franciscans had fun with it, marking historic firsts: The San Francisco Chronicle recorded the first person to walk across the bridge on stilts, pushing a stroller, on roller skates, on a unicycle and while playing a tuba.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Jan. 2025
Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 June 2024
Your ability to move into different situations can be stilted at times.
—BostonGlobe.com, 31 Aug. 2019
See all Example Sentences for stilt 
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Noun
On the one hand are people – or private equity firms – with the cash to pay for hugely expensive home upgrades, such as rebuilding on stilts, or who can afford to self-insure and repair their properties.
—Stephanie Hanes, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Jan. 2025
San Franciscans had fun with it, marking historic firsts: The San Francisco Chronicle recorded the first person to walk across the bridge on stilts, pushing a stroller, on roller skates, on a unicycle and while playing a tuba.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Jan. 2025
Verb
Urban planners worry an overreliance on single-family residences to raise taxes and house new citizens could stilt the city’s growth.
—Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 June 2024
Your ability to move into different situations can be stilted at times.
—BostonGlobe.com, 31 Aug. 2019
See all Example Sentences for stilt
Dictionary Entries Near stilt
Cite this Entry
“Stilt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stilt. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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