stooped; stooping; stoops
1
a
: to bend the body or a part of the body forward and downward sometimes simultaneously bending the knees
b
: to stand or walk with a forward inclination of the head, body, or shoulders
3
a
: to descend from a superior rank, dignity, or status
b
: to lower oneself morally
stooped to lying
4
a
archaic
: to move down from a height : alight
b
: to fly or dive down swiftly usually to attack prey
1
a
: an act of bending the body forward
b
: a temporary or habitual forward bend of the back and shoulders
2
: the descent of a bird especially on its prey
3
: a lowering of oneself
: a porch, platform, entrance stairway, or small veranda at a house door
Synonyms
Examples of stoop in a Sentence
Verb
She stooped down to hug the child.
He had to stoop to pick it up.
He tends to stoop as he walks.
He really did that? I didn't think he could stoop so low.
Noun (2)
the stoop at the front entrance is just big enough to shield a resident from the elements as he fumbles for his keys
Recent Examples on the Web
Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 24 Dec. 2024
Following a 21-7 loss to the Chiefs, the Browns have stooped to a record of 3-11.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 15 Dec. 2024
Carlie Kollath Wells, Axios, 8 Dec. 2024
With each passing day, America’s political discourse stoops lower and lower.
—Gonzalo Schwarz, Boston Herald, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stoop 
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Verb
Maybe stooping over a hot stove for hours to prepare a traditional Christmas dinner doesn’t quite put you in the holiday mood.
—Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 24 Dec. 2024
Following a 21-7 loss to the Chiefs, the Browns have stooped to a record of 3-11.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 15 Dec. 2024
Noun
The big picture: Autumn Town, co-owner of Pete's Out in the Cold in the Irish Channel, started decorating the pothole outside the bar's front stoop in 2021.
—Carlie Kollath Wells, Axios, 8 Dec. 2024
With each passing day, America’s political discourse stoops lower and lower.
—Gonzalo Schwarz, Boston Herald, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stoop
Dictionary Entries Near stoop
Cite this Entry
“Stoop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stoop. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stoop
1 of 3 verb1
a
: to bend down or over
b
: to stand or walk with the head and shoulders or the upper part of the body bent forward
2
: to degrade oneself
stoop to lying
stoop
2 of 3 noun1
: an act of bending the body forward
2
: a forward bend of the back and shoulders that is temporary or by habit
stoop
3 of 3 noun
: a porch, platform, or entrance stairway at a house door
Etymology
Verb
Old English stūpian "to stoop, bend over"
Noun
from Dutch stoep "porch, stoop"
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