stunt

1 of 4

verb (1)

ˈstənt

stunted; stunting; stunts

Synonyms of stunt next

transitive verb

: to hinder the normal growth, development, or progress of

stuntedness noun

stunt

2 of 4

noun (1)

: one (such as an animal) that is stunted

: a check in growth

: a disease of plants (such as corn) in which dwarfing occurs

stunt

3 of 4

noun (2)

: an unusual or difficult feat requiring great skill or daring

especially : one performed or undertaken chiefly to gain attention or publicity

: a shifting or switching of the positions by defensive players at the line of scrimmage in football to disrupt the opponent's blocking efforts

stunt

4 of 4

verb (2)

stunted; stunting; stunts

intransitive verb

: to perform or engage in a stunt

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

Noun

Two high-ranking Individuals familiar with the planning for the surprise L.A. concert stunt said security and crowd control has been a point of concern for local officials even before the alarming news from Vienna. —

Matt Donnelly, Variety, 9 Aug. 2024 Critics stung by his unrelenting anti-Black stunts grudgingly admitted that Vultures was impressively produced. —

Mosi Reeves, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2024 Tom Cruise reportedly to end Paris Olympics with epic stunt to pass the torch to L.A. China’s swimming doping controversy is making waves at Paris Olympics — and in Washington. —

Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2024 For months, Cruise has been gearing up to perform a skydiving stunt during the Paris Olympics’ closing ceremony on Aug. 11, the outlet reported on Thursday, Aug. 1. —

Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 2 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for stunt

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stunt.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

English dialect stunt stubborn, stunted, abrupt, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse stuttr scant — more at stint entry 1

Noun (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Verb (1)

1583, in the meaning defined above

Noun (1)

1725, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1878, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1917, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of stunt was in 1583

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Stunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stunt. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.

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Kids Definition

stunt

1 of 3 verb

ˈstənt

: 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

ˈstənt

: to hinder the normal growth, development, or progress of

an emotionally stunted child

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stunt

verb (1)

noun (1)

noun (2)

verb (2)

Synonyms

Examples of stunt in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near stunt

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Medical Definition