stumped

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.

When the vehicles violate traffic laws, some police have been stumped as to how to hold the driverless cars accountable.

From BBC • May 2, 2026

American grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura was sitting at a chess board in Cyprus last week feeling absolutely stumped.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

The actor stars in a solo off-Broadway show by David Cale about a playwright stumped by the blank page who finds a surprising, unsettling source of inspiration in the form of a stalker.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

In 2024, she revealed that, after she’d spent more than $70,000 on treatments, doctors were still stumped by what could be causing her facial disfigurement, though some suggested it could be because of a parasite.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

Thinking all the time was too much even for Francis, and often when he was stumped by his equations he used to pump my reservoir of phage lore.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson