stunted; stunting; stunts
: to hinder the normal growth, development, or progress of
stuntedness
noun
1
: one (such as an animal) that is stunted
2
: a check in growth
3
: a disease of plants (such as corn) in which dwarfing occurs
1
: an unusual or difficult feat requiring great skill or daring
especially
: one performed or undertaken chiefly to gain attention or publicity
2
: a shifting or switching of the positions by defensive players at the line of scrimmage in football to disrupt the opponent's blocking efforts
Synonyms
Verb (1)
Noun (2)
Examples of stunt in a Sentence
Verb (1)
unfortunately, an unusually dry summer seems to have permanently stunted the tree
Noun (2)
performs mental stunts, such as pronouncing words backwards as soon as you say them
Recent Examples on the Web
Caroline Frost, Deadline, 2 Feb. 2025
The award will be given to a stunt coordinator, stunt choreographer, cinematographer, unit director, and/or any notable stunt professionals.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 Jan. 2025
Photo: Courtesy Of Hbo., refinery29.com, 31 Jan. 2025
Delaying or manipulating the reports could harm Americans by stunting the ability of the U.S. government to detect and curb health threats, Frieden said.
—Amy Maxmen, CNN, 30 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for stunt 
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Noun
Tom Cruise is celebrated for doing all his own stunts on the sets of his action movies.
—Caroline Frost, Deadline, 2 Feb. 2025
The award will be given to a stunt coordinator, stunt choreographer, cinematographer, unit director, and/or any notable stunt professionals.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 Jan. 2025
Verb
The SAGs are distinctly different from other awards shows in that only acting and stunt acting performances are honored and the voting body is made up entirely of actors themselves.
—Photo: Courtesy Of Hbo., refinery29.com, 31 Jan. 2025
Delaying or manipulating the reports could harm Americans by stunting the ability of the U.S. government to detect and curb health threats, Frieden said.
—Amy Maxmen, CNN, 30 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for stunt
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Dictionary Entries Near stunt
Cite this Entry
“Stunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stunt. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stunt
1 of 3 verb
: to hold back the normal growth, development, or progress of
stunt
2 of 3 noun
: an unusual or difficult feat performed or attempted usually to gain attention or publicity
stunt
3 of 3 verb
: to perform stunts
Etymology
Verb
from a dialect word stunt "stubborn, abrupt, stunted," probably of Scandinavian origin
Noun
origin unknown
Medical Definition
stunt
transitive verb
: to hinder the normal growth, development, or progress of
an emotionally stunted child
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