1
as in chunks
a small uneven mass
she dumped a lump of clay on the table and started to sculpt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in swellings
a small rounded mass of swollen tissue
I got a good-sized lump on my head from that fall
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in tumors
an abnormal mass of tissue
advised by her doctor to examine her breasts regularly for unusual lumps
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in defeats
failure to win a contest
you can't win all the time, so learn to take your lumps in stride
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in idiots
a stupid person
gazed disgustedly at the lump her daughter had married
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in hulks
a big clumsy often slow-witted person
standing next to those ballet dancers, with their graceful way of moving, I felt like a lump
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in collects
to bring together in one body or place
when we lumped all of our pocket change together, we found that we had just enough a buy a carton of ice cream
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shuffles
to move heavily or clumsily
while I was on crutches, I was lumping about the house like an elephant
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 lumps
Christine Persaud, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
Cut into potatoes, and scoop the flesh into a food processor; process until no lumps remain, about 1 minute.
—Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
The worst are lumps of yuck thanks to cheap, tasteless ingredients.
—Jolene Thym, Mercury News, 14 Oct. 2025
Brunicke will need to take some lumps, as any teenager playing defense in the NHL will learn.
—Josh Yohe, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Atlanta Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos has found a lot of diamonds in the rough in his time with the club, but every longtime executive is bound to take their lumps as well.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Oct. 2025
And wait a minute, these are real lumps.
—Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2025
The media giant, having taken some lumps from viewers and Hollywood during the nearly weeklong crisis, now will be taking a harder look at its options with Sinclair and Nexstar.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2025
Lush lumps of rock crab arrived in a flying saucer made of ice and covered with kohlrabi shaved thin as a layer of frost.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
These include things like oats, coconut glycerin, and peanut butter in the lumps of coal biscuits, oats, peanut butter and bacon in the bac’n nutty biscuits, and chickpeas, tapioca flour and apples in the brushy sticks.
—Christine Persaud, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
Cut into potatoes, and scoop the flesh into a food processor; process until no lumps remain, about 1 minute.
—Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
The worst are lumps of yuck thanks to cheap, tasteless ingredients.
—Jolene Thym, Mercury News, 14 Oct. 2025
Brunicke will need to take some lumps, as any teenager playing defense in the NHL will learn.
—Josh Yohe, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Atlanta Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos has found a lot of diamonds in the rough in his time with the club, but every longtime executive is bound to take their lumps as well.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Oct. 2025
And wait a minute, these are real lumps.
—Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2025
The media giant, having taken some lumps from viewers and Hollywood during the nearly weeklong crisis, now will be taking a harder look at its options with Sinclair and Nexstar.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2025
Lush lumps of rock crab arrived in a flying saucer made of ice and covered with kohlrabi shaved thin as a layer of frost.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lumps
Noun
-
This recipe gets an extra bit of zip from chunks of pineapple.—
Mary Alice Russell,
Southern Living,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Venture capital performance may be measured in ten-year chunks, but only an elite club of firms can claim to have stayed consistent—let alone functional—for anywhere close to that timeframe.—
Leo Schwartz,
Fortune,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Infection is rapid, causing swellings in the lymph nodes (buboes) and leading to septicaemia and pulmonary infection.—
Matthew Binnicker,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The researchers then replicated this outcome in mouse models — when the mice received a combination of immunotherapy drugs and an mRNA vaccine targeting the COVID-19 spike protein, their tumors became more responsive to treatment.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Her tumors have stabilized, and some are nearly undetectable.—
Wendy Grossman Kantor,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
With leaves still clinging to the trees, Arne Slot had overseen four straight defeats, prompting searching questions to be asked of the head coach, the club’s summer transfer strategy, senior players and everything in between.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Players must compete again the next day, leaving no time to dwell on defeats, while the organization doesn’t take victories for granted either.—
Karl Moore,
Forbes.com,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Noah's sister-in-law Esther (Jackie Tohn), the Jewish character portrayed most insultingly last year, has thankfully been softened and refined, and has somehow become the lone voice of reason amongst a group of immature idiots.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
-
To be funny while playing a character who’s sweet and endearing (even when calling his friends idiots) is a skill, and Bad Bunny has it.—
Rima Parikh,
Vulture,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Commercial company HawkEye 360 collects and processes radio frequency data from its constellation of satellites using advanced algorithms.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
-
More than just a battery, the smart technology manages the home’s energy use throughout the day, accounts for changes in the weather and collects extra energy while the sun is out to power the home during overcast periods and through each night.—
Ryan Ballogg,
Miami Herald,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Gakpo is deeper, and Wirtz pushes forward as the central member of Liverpool’s forward line, while Ekitike shuffles across as the left of the trio.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Because global air travel shuffles millions of people around the world daily, an outbreak of a very contagious disease anywhere can become a threat everywhere.—
Amy E. Stambach,
The Conversation,
12 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
None of these plants needs any attention other than to divide them when their clumps become overly dense.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Keep drains clean and clear Fruit flies can breed in drains if there are clumps of food caught in your pipes.—
Emma Ashe,
Southern Living,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lumps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lumps. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share