as in dwarf
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as in suppressed
to hold back the normal growth of
unfortunately, an unusually dry summer seems to have permanently stunted the tree
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Recent Examples of stunted
Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 18 June 2026
All parts of the tree exude juglone, a toxin that causes stunted growth, wilting foliage, and death for tomato plants.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 17 June 2026
Tomato plants that are overcrowded may have slow or stunted growth, decreased fruit production, signs of disease, and yellowing or wilting leaves.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 16 June 2026
The link between violent spectacle and the pardon power is a long-standing one, but here, again, ambition has been stunted.
—Cullen Murphy, The Atlantic, 13 June 2026
There was something puritanical and stunted in all of this critical handwringing.
—Mark Rozzo, Vanity Fair, 12 June 2026
Pricey financing stunted home sales and appreciation.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 28 May 2026
This caused wilting, stunted crop growth, tree die-back and lower yields, while increasing global cocoa prices even more.
—Indrabati Lahiri, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026
Jim Cramer, CNBC, 14 June 2026
Hannah is recovering from a traumatic event at high school that’s stunted her ability to write songs, putting her scholarship at risk.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
Beans Some gardeners find their pole beans stunted by sunflowers, but other types of beans may be an even bigger problem.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 30 May 2026
The former child star had a lifelong kidney condition that stunted his growth and led to numerous health complications throughout his life.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 28 May 2026
For students whose school years were stunted by the COVID-19 pandemic, turning to social media for information can be natural.
—Kate Perez, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026
Unlike his three sisters, Branwell, his artistic career stunted by alcoholism and an opium addiction, never published.
—Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
Eight years later, however, Saudi Arabia’s moviemaking ambitions have yet to materialize, stunted by regional turmoil and a failure to recognize what audiences want.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 13 May 2026
And the constant presence of four effortlessly irresistible sisters, each unfolding towards the light like a peony, has stunted her growth.
—Judy Berman, Time, 6 May 2026
Adjective
Inconsistent watering can lead to stunted or bitter fruit and slower production.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 18 June 2026
All parts of the tree exude juglone, a toxin that causes stunted growth, wilting foliage, and death for tomato plants.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 17 June 2026
Tomato plants that are overcrowded may have slow or stunted growth, decreased fruit production, signs of disease, and yellowing or wilting leaves.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 16 June 2026
The link between violent spectacle and the pardon power is a long-standing one, but here, again, ambition has been stunted.
—Cullen Murphy, The Atlantic, 13 June 2026
There was something puritanical and stunted in all of this critical handwringing.
—Mark Rozzo, Vanity Fair, 12 June 2026
Pricey financing stunted home sales and appreciation.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 28 May 2026
This caused wilting, stunted crop growth, tree die-back and lower yields, while increasing global cocoa prices even more.
—Indrabati Lahiri, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026
Verb
The rap has certainly stunted the price of the stock.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 14 June 2026
Hannah is recovering from a traumatic event at high school that’s stunted her ability to write songs, putting her scholarship at risk.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
Beans Some gardeners find their pole beans stunted by sunflowers, but other types of beans may be an even bigger problem.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 30 May 2026
The former child star had a lifelong kidney condition that stunted his growth and led to numerous health complications throughout his life.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 28 May 2026
For students whose school years were stunted by the COVID-19 pandemic, turning to social media for information can be natural.
—Kate Perez, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026
Unlike his three sisters, Branwell, his artistic career stunted by alcoholism and an opium addiction, never published.
—Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
Eight years later, however, Saudi Arabia’s moviemaking ambitions have yet to materialize, stunted by regional turmoil and a failure to recognize what audiences want.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 13 May 2026
And the constant presence of four effortlessly irresistible sisters, each unfolding towards the light like a peony, has stunted her growth.
—Judy Berman, Time, 6 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stunted
Adjective
-
These semi-dwarf shrubs have a nice, rounded form that maxes out at 4 or 5 feet wide and tall.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
23 June 2026
-
Additionally, new facilities such as the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, are expected to discover more dwarf galaxies for researchers to study.—
Christopher Karwin,
The Conversation,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
The development came after the judge ruled in May that evidence found during an initial search of Mangione's backpack must be suppressed, including a magazine, cell phone, passport and wallet.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
-
The charge, involving the magazine that was suppressed by the court, was formally dismissed Wednesday.—
Alexa Herrera,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Other worthy state parks to check out include Seabranch Preserve State Park, where there are six miles of hiking and biking trails that take visitors through sand pine scrub, scrubby flatwoods, and a mangrove swamp, and Atlantic Ridge Preserve State Park, a great spot for birding.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
16 June 2026
-
The landscape is baked and scrubby.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
OpenAI has already dwarfed even SpaceX’s IPO in a single funding round.—
Bloomberg,
Fortune,
8 June 2026
-
That dwarfed the offerings of Morocco, which had no existing stadiums that conformed to tournament specifications and would need to spend upwards of $15 billion to prepare for a World Cup.—
Kevin Baxter
Follow
June 7,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2026
Adjective
-
The tiny female hippo is already drawing comparisons to the beloved Moo Deng, the Thai baby pygmy hippo who became a global sensation in 2024.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
18 June 2026
-
Hopefully, this will help determine whether they’re sparked by an eruption from a single neutron star, or when two of these tiny but massive bodies collide.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
In the end that discussion was halted by Paramount’s superior bid.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
23 June 2026
-
Just days after the White House confirmed the plans, a Kenyan court temporarily halted the proposal with Kenyan High Court Judge Patricia Nyaundi upholding that decision and ordering the Kenyan government to cease all building and operations at the base while the case is resolved.—
Dada Jovanovic,
ABC News,
23 June 2026
Adjective
-
But the processes that govern gene regulation are proving so complex that some biologists wonder whether a full understanding of it — of how the genome really works — will ever be within the grasp of our puny minds.—
Philip Ball,
Quanta Magazine,
18 June 2026
-
In an earlier era, this panorama might have communicated the puny anonymity of corporate life.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
But Kesselring’s role was further diminished when Buffalo acquired defensemen Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn from the Winnipeg Jets at the trade deadline in March.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
17 June 2026
-
Since then, our evenings have been brighter and our melatonin diminished.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stunted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stunted. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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