stumbled; stumbling
ˈstəm-b(ə-)liŋ 
1
a
: to fall into sin or waywardness
b
: to make an error : blunder
c
: to come to an obstacle to belief
2
: to trip in walking or running
3
a
: to walk unsteadily or clumsily
b
: to speak or act in a hesitant or faltering manner
4
a
: to come unexpectedly or by chance
stumble onto the truth
b
: to fall or move carelessly
Synonyms
Examples of stumble in a Sentence
Verb
I stumbled on the uneven pavement.
The horse stumbled and almost fell.
He stumbled drunkenly across the room.
He stumbled over to the table.
I heard him stumble over the unfamiliar words.
She stumbled through an apology.
The economy has stumbled in recent months.
Noun
was his hurtful remark a regrettable stumble, or was it made with artful intention?
has bones so brittle that a minor stumble could result in a serious break
Recent Examples on the Web
Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2024
Moten is Maximus, a former orphan who joins up with the paramilitary tech protectors in the Brotherhood of Steel and stumbles his way into a chance at greatness.
—Marah Eakin, WIRED, 11 Apr. 2024
Her mother-in-law and husband carried her on their shoulders, stumbling between tents in the pitch-black night, somehow managing to avoid shelling, airstrikes, and stray dogs.
—Ghada Abdulfattah, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Apr. 2024
Colorado also stumbled to 3-10 starts in 2005, ’19 and ’21.
—Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, 10 Apr. 2024
The pouty-lipped and strapping George — Galitzine is perfectly cast — stumbles at the beginning but then maneuvers his way into becoming the main lover of King James, a position held firmly by the duplicitous Earl of Somerset (Laurie Davidson).
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
However, the Chinese company stumbled in early 2024.
—Rosa De Acosta, CNN, 3 Apr. 2024
But by the time Simon Warrack, a British stonemason with a fascination for ancient ruins, stumbled upon the scene in 2007, all that remained of them were the four feet, still attached to pedestals.
—Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
Griffin didn’t stumble into this space by accident.
—Essence, 2 Apr. 2024
Allison Morrow, CNN, 2 Apr. 2024
Yes, there have been some stumbles, like last summer’s Haunted Mansion and Jo Koy comedy Easter Sunday, but these are outnumbered by the successes.
—Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Apr. 2024
Alphabet had its biggest daily stumble since late October following the disappointing ad revenue figures for its most recent quarter.
—Damian J. Troise, Quartz, 7 Feb. 2024
Her biggest stumble came at the end of 2023, when she was asked about the cause of the Civil War during an event in New Hampshire.
—Cnn Com Wire Service, Orange County Register, 6 Mar. 2024
But that doesn’t mean there haven’t been some stumbles along the way — some of them quite high-profile and embarrassing to the companies behind them.
—Britney Nguyen, Quartz, 4 Mar. 2024
The technology underpinning these types of robots has notably come a long way from the embarrassing stumbles of previous years.
—Popular Science, 29 Feb. 2024
Mixed economic data Wall Street's focus on earnings this week follows economic data from the previous week that prompted a stumble in the market.
—CBS News, 22 Feb. 2024
Their verbal stumbles and forgetfulness have been widely interpreted by opponents as signs of potential memory loss or confusion.
—Olivia Goldhill, STAT, 22 Feb. 2024
Verb
This season, as the playoffs have drawn ever nearer, the Heat have stumbled, and Butler has, too.
—Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2024
Moten is Maximus, a former orphan who joins up with the paramilitary tech protectors in the Brotherhood of Steel and stumbles his way into a chance at greatness.
—Marah Eakin, WIRED, 11 Apr. 2024
Her mother-in-law and husband carried her on their shoulders, stumbling between tents in the pitch-black night, somehow managing to avoid shelling, airstrikes, and stray dogs.
—Ghada Abdulfattah, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Apr. 2024
Colorado also stumbled to 3-10 starts in 2005, ’19 and ’21.
—Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, 10 Apr. 2024
The pouty-lipped and strapping George — Galitzine is perfectly cast — stumbles at the beginning but then maneuvers his way into becoming the main lover of King James, a position held firmly by the duplicitous Earl of Somerset (Laurie Davidson).
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
However, the Chinese company stumbled in early 2024.
—Rosa De Acosta, CNN, 3 Apr. 2024
But by the time Simon Warrack, a British stonemason with a fascination for ancient ruins, stumbled upon the scene in 2007, all that remained of them were the four feet, still attached to pedestals.
—Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
Griffin didn’t stumble into this space by accident.
—Essence, 2 Apr. 2024
Noun
Even with Monday’s stumble, the stock is still up about 200% over the past six months, giving it a $6.6 billion valuation that defies logic.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 2 Apr. 2024
Yes, there have been some stumbles, like last summer’s Haunted Mansion and Jo Koy comedy Easter Sunday, but these are outnumbered by the successes.
—Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Apr. 2024
Alphabet had its biggest daily stumble since late October following the disappointing ad revenue figures for its most recent quarter.
—Damian J. Troise, Quartz, 7 Feb. 2024
Her biggest stumble came at the end of 2023, when she was asked about the cause of the Civil War during an event in New Hampshire.
—Cnn Com Wire Service, Orange County Register, 6 Mar. 2024
But that doesn’t mean there haven’t been some stumbles along the way — some of them quite high-profile and embarrassing to the companies behind them.
—Britney Nguyen, Quartz, 4 Mar. 2024
The technology underpinning these types of robots has notably come a long way from the embarrassing stumbles of previous years.
—Popular Science, 29 Feb. 2024
Mixed economic data Wall Street's focus on earnings this week follows economic data from the previous week that prompted a stumble in the market.
—CBS News, 22 Feb. 2024
Their verbal stumbles and forgetfulness have been widely interpreted by opponents as signs of potential memory loss or confusion.
—Olivia Goldhill, STAT, 22 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stumble.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian dialect stumle to stumble
First Known Use
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a
Noun
1547, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of stumble was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing stumble
Dictionary Entries Near stumble
Cite this Entry
“Stumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stumble. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
stumble
verb
stum·ble
ˈstəm-bəl
stumbled; stumbling
-b(ə-)liŋ
1
: to trip in walking or running
2
a
: to walk unsteadily
b
: to speak or act in a hesitant or clumsy manner
3
: to come or happen unexpectedly or by chance
stumbled onto the ruins of an old fort
stumble
noun
stumbler
noun
-b(ə-)lər
stumblingly
adverb
-b(ə-)liŋ-lē
More from Merriam-Webster on stumble
Nglish: Translation of stumble for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of stumble for Arabic Speakers
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