stump
noun
the lower end of a tree or plant left after the main part falls or is cut off; a standing tree trunk from which the upper part and branches have been removed.
have stumped
-
present perfectof stump.present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
After navigating the perils of the pandemic with their children for so long, parents now face new questions, some so complex they have stumped even regulators and experts.
From New York Times ● Jun. 18, 2022
The phrase special, or enhanced, combat duty appears to have stumped the Pentagon.
From Reuters ● Feb. 28, 2022
Steel predicted Biden and McConnell, two former colleagues, can find “common ground” on infrastructure and immigration — policy areas that have stumped multiple administrations.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 1, 2021
It also has transformed the way skeletal remains are identified in cases that have stumped investigators for decades.
From Fox News ● Feb. 14, 2020
His mind was evidently not at ease, but the varying shadows that chased each other across the mild depths of his clear, vivacious eyes would have stumped a physiognomist.
From Hoosier Mosaics by Maurice Thompson
