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
Recent Examples on the Web
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
Lots of stunts, explosions, and F/X gimmicks are interweaved, along with dim-witted, screwball-comedy romantic banter.
—Armond White, National Review, 3 May 2024
Leitch is a pioneer in using digital technology to pre-visualize stunts, a technique that allows for a more aestheticized approach to filming them.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 2 May 2024
The stunt team also helped rehearse the action sequences and ensure safety for cast members Winston Duke, Hannah Waddingham, Stephanie Hsu, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and more.
—Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 2 May 2024
The closing credits feature behind-the-scenes footage of the movie’s stunts being performed, showing that a good (and safe) time was had by all.
—Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
Much like spring break, the event sparked heated debate about escalating dangerous stunts with thousands of drunk people in a small area, which could lead to crime and accidents.
—Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 2 May 2024
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
The lack of appreciation is particularly galling to stunt workers, who risk their safety to make more famous actors look good.
—Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
Moscow’s popular mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, was the nominee for Putin’s United Russia party in his reelection campaign last year, despite running as an independent before — a move interpreted by critics as designed to stunt his political growth in a city where the ruling party is less popular.
—Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024
Ozone pollution, meanwhile, can stunt the growth of trees and weaken plants, per the report.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Mar. 2024
The virus stunts growth and development of plants leading to smaller and weaker flowers.
—Mike Corder, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2024
At Sunday’s 96th Oscars ceremony, where Gosling and Blunt were both nominated in supporting acting categories for Barbie and Oppenheimer, respectively, the two presented a tribute to stunt performers onstage.
—Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2024
Just after the skit, which came as a tribute to stunt performers, the award for Best Supporting Actor was presented.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 10 Mar. 2024
Noun
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
Lots of stunts, explosions, and F/X gimmicks are interweaved, along with dim-witted, screwball-comedy romantic banter.
—Armond White, National Review, 3 May 2024
Leitch is a pioneer in using digital technology to pre-visualize stunts, a technique that allows for a more aestheticized approach to filming them.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 2 May 2024
The stunt team also helped rehearse the action sequences and ensure safety for cast members Winston Duke, Hannah Waddingham, Stephanie Hsu, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and more.
—Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 2 May 2024
The closing credits feature behind-the-scenes footage of the movie’s stunts being performed, showing that a good (and safe) time was had by all.
—Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
Much like spring break, the event sparked heated debate about escalating dangerous stunts with thousands of drunk people in a small area, which could lead to crime and accidents.
—Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 2 May 2024
Verb
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
The lack of appreciation is particularly galling to stunt workers, who risk their safety to make more famous actors look good.
—Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
Moscow’s popular mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, was the nominee for Putin’s United Russia party in his reelection campaign last year, despite running as an independent before — a move interpreted by critics as designed to stunt his political growth in a city where the ruling party is less popular.
—Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024
Ozone pollution, meanwhile, can stunt the growth of trees and weaken plants, per the report.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Mar. 2024
The virus stunts growth and development of plants leading to smaller and weaker flowers.
—Mike Corder, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2024
At Sunday’s 96th Oscars ceremony, where Gosling and Blunt were both nominated in supporting acting categories for Barbie and Oppenheimer, respectively, the two presented a tribute to stunt performers onstage.
—Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2024
Just after the skit, which came as a tribute to stunt performers, the award for Best Supporting Actor was presented.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 10 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.
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Cite this Entry
“Stunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stunt. Accessed 8 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
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