tumbleweed
noun
tum·ble·weed
ˈtəm-bəl-ˌwēd 
: 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
High winds caused tumbleweeds to engulf streets, highways and neighborhoods in parts of Utah and Nevada over the weekend.
—
Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024
Other common allergens in Phoenix include: Russian thistle (tumbleweed).
—Dina Kaur, The Arizona Republic, 18 Mar. 2024
The reservoir was low, the yucca plants were going to seed, and discarded Starbucks cups blew across the road like tumbleweed.
—Maya Binyam, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024
Her salon is reminiscent of braiding stalls peppered throughout many West African countries, where remnants of hair extensions dust the floor like tumbleweeds as braiders shift back and forth from French to English while sectioning, twisting and dipping hair in boiling water to seal the ends.
—Lateshia Beachum, Washington Post, 22 Nov. 2023
About a 30-minute drive from Phoenix in Downtown Chandler — and a quirky area tradition since 1957 — the community centerpiece is, quite literally, a pile of nearly 1,000 tumbleweeds formed into a tree shape, sprayed with white paint, dusted with 65 pounds of glitter, and adorned with 1,200 lights.
—Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 8 Sep. 2023
There’s even the occasional burning tire that rolls across the industrial landscape like tumbleweed.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 16 Aug. 2023
Flopping pervades the playoffs like tumbleweeds on a dusty desert plain.
—Kurt Streeter, New York Times, 1 June 2023
But along the way, readers discover that tumbleweed was transported from Europe, black-eyed peas arrived aboard slave ships, and both gardens and children need patience and grace.
—Maisie Sparks, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 May 2023
Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024
Other common allergens in Phoenix include: Russian thistle (tumbleweed).
—Dina Kaur, The Arizona Republic, 18 Mar. 2024
The reservoir was low, the yucca plants were going to seed, and discarded Starbucks cups blew across the road like tumbleweed.
—Maya Binyam, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024
Her salon is reminiscent of braiding stalls peppered throughout many West African countries, where remnants of hair extensions dust the floor like tumbleweeds as braiders shift back and forth from French to English while sectioning, twisting and dipping hair in boiling water to seal the ends.
—Lateshia Beachum, Washington Post, 22 Nov. 2023
About a 30-minute drive from Phoenix in Downtown Chandler — and a quirky area tradition since 1957 — the community centerpiece is, quite literally, a pile of nearly 1,000 tumbleweeds formed into a tree shape, sprayed with white paint, dusted with 65 pounds of glitter, and adorned with 1,200 lights.
—Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 8 Sep. 2023
There’s even the occasional burning tire that rolls across the industrial landscape like tumbleweed.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 16 Aug. 2023
Flopping pervades the playoffs like tumbleweeds on a dusty desert plain.
—Kurt Streeter, New York Times, 1 June 2023
But along the way, readers discover that tumbleweed was transported from Europe, black-eyed peas arrived aboard slave ships, and both gardens and children need patience and grace.
—Maisie Sparks, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 May 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tumbleweed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1858, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Tumbleweed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tumbleweed. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
tumbleweed
noun
tum·ble·weed
ˈtəm-bəl-ˌwēd
: a plant that breaks away from its roots in autumn and is blown about by the wind
More from Merriam-Webster on tumbleweed
Nglish: Translation of tumbleweed for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tumbleweed
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