stunt

1 of 4

verb (1)

stunted; stunting; stunts

transitive verb

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

stunt

2 of 4

noun (1)

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

stunt

3 of 4

noun (2)

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

stunt

4 of 4

verb (2)

stunted; stunting; stunts

intransitive verb

: to perform or engage in a stunt

Examples of stunt in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
One moment in which Strong emerges, late in the show, took my breath away, and yet in memory doesn’t feel like a stunt. Daniel D'addario, Variety, 19 Mar. 2024 His family friendly videos typically feature stunts and acts of philanthropy, such as paying for cataract surgeries to help 1,000 blind people see again. James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2024 Starring alongside the impressive stunt team in The Fall Guy are Hannah Waddingham as a movie producer, Winston Duke as a stunt coordinator, Aaron Taylor-Johnson as a cocky leading man — who disappears, setting off the events of the story — and Stephanie Hsu as his beleaguered assistant. Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2024 These efforts are woefully insufficient and amount to a public relations stunt as our government continues to provide bombs and arms to Israel. Laila El-Haddad, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2024 The recklessness of the shoot foreshadowed another, more deadly stunt gone wrong on a Landis project. Chris Foran, Journal Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2024 That incident came to mind when my 9-year-old son pulled a similar stunt with me, informing me of an assignment where he was tasked to make his own miniature Thanksgiving Parade balloon float. Kristina Behr, Parents, 11 Mar. 2024 The Screen Actors Guild Awards honor the stunt people for film and TV already. Nicole Sperling Sinna Nasseri, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024 Instead, it, and the other three stunt cars used to film Spectre, are powered by a supercharged 5.0-liter V-8. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 6 Mar. 2024
Verb
And stunting means that your ability, your cognitive ability is impacted as well. CBS News, 17 Mar. 2024 Experts said bone grafts done at such an early age could stunt facial growth, resulting in the upper lip looking pushed back and impairing basic tasks such as talking and chewing. Megan Rose, ProPublica, 6 Mar. 2024 Last summer the duo jointly acquired an 80,000 sq. ft site in Derbyshire, England which they are set to turn into a movie studio and stunt training facility. K.j. Yossman, Variety, 29 Feb. 2024 My generation, old enough to have loved ’90s rom-coms but young enough to have been lab rats for dating apps, might be romantically stunted. Sophie Hessekiel, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2024 Common Pests & Plant Diseases The nematode is a pest that can impact a fig tree's longevity by attacking the roots, eventually stunting growth and the amount of fruit. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 19 Feb. 2024 And even though the federal government made several changes to Medicare Advantage for 2024 — changes that were vehemently opposed by the health insurance industry — the program’s growth has not been stunted, nor did insurers dramatically slash their offerings. Sarah Owermohle, STAT, 20 Feb. 2024 Nothing will stunt the growth and prosperity of Texas, specifically North Texas, quite like a lack of future planning. Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Feb. 2024 Seeds started now will be stunted or killed by fungus long before the air and soil are warm enough to plant them outside. Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Feb. 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.

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

Dictionary Entries Near stunt

Cite this Entry

“Stunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stunt. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids 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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