1
as in to fall
to go down from an upright position suddenly and involuntarily
the bride stumbled on the altar steps and landed smack in the arms of the minister
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to struggle
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually
stumbled twice while she was reciting the "Gettysburg Address"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to shuffle
to move heavily or clumsily
the tipsy revelers left the path and wearily stumbled through the tangled undergrowth
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to fumble
to make a mistake
that network announcer rarely stumbles when he's on the air
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in mistake
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy
was his hurtful remark a regrettable stumble, or was it made with artful intention?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of stumble
ABC News,
17 June 2026
The narrative chronicled an international gang of scientists and military folks that stumble across a Stargate network deep in the Pegasus Galaxy and its insidious alien antagonists called The Wraith.
—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
17 June 2026
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
16 June 2026
The stumble couldn’t have come at a worse moment for the company.
—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for stumble
Verb
Gane finished off Pereira in the second round to win the title on Sunday after sending him stumbling with a right jab followed by a hammer fist.
—
ABC News,
17 June 2026
The narrative chronicled an international gang of scientists and military folks that stumble across a Stargate network deep in the Pegasus Galaxy and its insidious alien antagonists called The Wraith.
—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
17 June 2026
Noun
Martin Scorsese is unquestionably one of the greatest ever to go behind a camera, yet the series reveals dramatic stumbles on his route to the top.
—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
16 June 2026
The stumble couldn’t have come at a worse moment for the company.
—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for stumble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumble
Verb
-
Scheffler, who fell nine shots behind with a pair of bogeys at the start, shot 32 on the back nine by chipping in from 65 feet on the 14th for the start of three straight birdies.
-
Overall homicides in the United States have fallen for four consecutive years, according to FBI data analyzed by the Washington Post.
Verb
-
In addition, composters are struggling with the amount of plastic and other debris that people and businesses put in the food waste bins.
-
Cristiano Ronaldo looks to be in top form after struggling in his World Cup opener, scoring two goals already today.
Verb
-
Manager John Schneider is now forced to shuffle players like Andrés Gimenez and Ernie Clement at shortstop, often platooning Gimenez, and inserting lesser hitters at second base.
-
After about 10 minutes of sitting frozen in place, the seven-year-old shuffled out of the room with his mother, sister and grandmother.
Verb
-
After South Korea’s goalkeeper fumbled a ball, Luis Romo scored the goal that gave the Mexicans six points and pushed them to the top of the standings.
-
OnlyFans fumbled a previous version of this dilemma.
Noun
-
If circumstances had gone Spain’s way with more clinical finishing or a Cape Verde defender making a mistake, then the result would have been different and a lot of the chatter currently happening (including here) would likely not be happening.
-
In fact, according to Rakestraw, one of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is assuming the babies have been abandoned and removing them immediately.
Noun
-
After the post-COVID inflation spike, farmers had to pay higher input costs, then saw prices for their crops tumble.
-
And in tumble Spiderman and Hulk, swords in hand, a shy Snow White with her wellies on wrong, and Pocahontas cuddling a teddy.
Verb
-
For anyone looking to channel the current more-is-more styling energy, the answer may be as simple as slipping on a pair of red shoes.
-
Industry watchers are wondering aloud whether the AI lab is slipping back from the lead pack in the AI race.
Verb
-
Now city officials are being asked to stomp the gas pedal on an ordinance that could speed the demise of some of downtown’s stateliest buildings — ones that help define its character, such as the old train station on Church Street, the Kress building and the Angebilt Hotel.
-
On Monday night, a 39-year-old man wearing a Spurs jersey was stomped and punched after Game 3 while walking down West 47th Street, about 15 blocks from the arena.
Cite this Entry
“Stumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumble. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
