tumbleweed

noun

tum·​ble·​weed ˈtəm-bəl-ˌwēd How to pronounce tumbleweed (audio)
: a plant (such as Russian thistle or any of several amaranths) that breaks away from its roots in the autumn and is driven about by the wind as a light rolling mass

Examples of tumbleweed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
When tangled together, the strands look like tumbleweeds. Sara Schilling, Sacramento Bee, 28 Jan. 2025 So Blain-Cruz’s stage—lushly designed by Adam Rigg with tendrils of Spanish moss and a wraparound coastal pool—is set for a showdown as surely as if there were tumbleweeds blowing across it. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 21 Nov. 2024 Here in the dry desert, among the saguaro cactuses and tumbleweeds, investigators found a different culprit: Rhipicephalus sanguineus, commonly known as the brown dog tick, a species that thrives on the reservation. Pien Huang, NPR, 15 Jan. 2025 Come evening, check into the 52-unit Shack Up Inn, which comprises a collection of former sharecroppers’ cabins surrounded by farm equipment and literal tumbleweeds. Emma John, AFAR Media, 7 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for tumbleweed 

Word History

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tumbleweed was in 1858

Dictionary Entries Near tumbleweed

Cite this Entry

“Tumbleweed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tumbleweed. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

tumbleweed

noun
tum·​ble·​weed ˈtəm-bəl-ˌwēd How to pronounce tumbleweed (audio)
: a plant that breaks away from its roots in autumn and is blown about by the wind

More from Merriam-Webster on tumbleweed

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