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
Harriet Ryan, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2024
His stunt work includes performances in Captain America: Civil War, Ant-Man and the Wasp, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Parts 1 and 2, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and several more.
—Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 May 2024
Upside-down acrobatics, high-flying contortionists and nods to 'Star Wars'
The human cannonball shot is separate from the daily Big Top performances, which also feature human tricks and stunts.
—Amy Schwabe, Journal Sentinel, 10 May 2024
So in place of a superhero kickoff, the summer launch went to a movie about the stunt performers who anonymously sacrifice their bodies for the kind of action sequences blockbusters are built on.
—Jake Coyle, Fortune, 6 May 2024
And family-friendly fare can involve wild stunt work, too, as Blunt reveals.
—Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 5 May 2024
Gill is hopeful that the progress achieved by casting directors — who landed their own Oscar category beginning with the 2026 Academy Awards — can be replicated for stunt performers.
—Nicole Sperling, New York Times, 3 May 2024
The stunt man on The Fall Guy was able to fall 150 feet.
—Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 3 May 2024
But Seinfeld stages it like a dramatized series of stand-up-comedy stunts.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 3 May 2024
Katcy Stephan, Variety, 11 May 2024
The mature plants can easily damage the roots of the tomatoes and stunt their future development.
6.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 2 May 2024
Ostensibly to raise money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute, the annual gala is really just an excuse for the famous and famous-adjacent to stunt in haute couture.
—Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 7 May 2024
Saplings or trees with a diameter smaller than 2 inches in areas with big cicada populations might be harmed, stunting their future growth.
—Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2024
Walnut trees release chemicals in the soil that stunt the growth of surrounding plants.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 2 May 2024
In March, Gosling and Blunt presented a tribute montage to stunt performers at the 2024 Academy Awards.
—Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 2 May 2024
This era in Russia–marked by economic instability and rampant crime–could have easily stunted the curiosity and motivation of any young soul.
—Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 20 Apr. 2024
This isn't just trauma, this is - this is stunting them for life.
—CBS News, 17 Mar. 2024
Noun
As taggers claimed the exterior, stunt performers began using its three towers, including BASE jumpers who paraglided from the roof.
—Harriet Ryan, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2024
His stunt work includes performances in Captain America: Civil War, Ant-Man and the Wasp, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Parts 1 and 2, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and several more.
—Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 May 2024
Upside-down acrobatics, high-flying contortionists and nods to 'Star Wars'
The human cannonball shot is separate from the daily Big Top performances, which also feature human tricks and stunts.
—Amy Schwabe, Journal Sentinel, 10 May 2024
So in place of a superhero kickoff, the summer launch went to a movie about the stunt performers who anonymously sacrifice their bodies for the kind of action sequences blockbusters are built on.
—Jake Coyle, Fortune, 6 May 2024
And family-friendly fare can involve wild stunt work, too, as Blunt reveals.
—Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 5 May 2024
Gill is hopeful that the progress achieved by casting directors — who landed their own Oscar category beginning with the 2026 Academy Awards — can be replicated for stunt performers.
—Nicole Sperling, New York Times, 3 May 2024
The stunt man on The Fall Guy was able to fall 150 feet.
—Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 3 May 2024
But Seinfeld stages it like a dramatized series of stand-up-comedy stunts.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 3 May 2024
Verb
This movie really feels like a love letter to stunt performers.
—Katcy Stephan, Variety, 11 May 2024
The mature plants can easily damage the roots of the tomatoes and stunt their future development.
6.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 2 May 2024
Ostensibly to raise money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute, the annual gala is really just an excuse for the famous and famous-adjacent to stunt in haute couture.
—Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 7 May 2024
Saplings or trees with a diameter smaller than 2 inches in areas with big cicada populations might be harmed, stunting their future growth.
—Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2024
Walnut trees release chemicals in the soil that stunt the growth of surrounding plants.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 2 May 2024
In March, Gosling and Blunt presented a tribute montage to stunt performers at the 2024 Academy Awards.
—Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 2 May 2024
This era in Russia–marked by economic instability and rampant crime–could have easily stunted the curiosity and motivation of any young soul.
—Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 20 Apr. 2024
This isn't just trauma, this is - this is stunting them for life.
—CBS News, 17 Mar. 2024
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.
Articles Related to stunt
Dictionary Entries Near stunt
Cite this Entry
“Stunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stunt. Accessed 23 May. 2024.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share