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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to struggle
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually
stumbled twice while she was reciting the "Gettysburg Address"
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3
as in to shuffle
to move heavily or clumsily
the tipsy revelers left the path and wearily stumbled through the tangled undergrowth
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4
as in to fumble
to make a mistake
that network announcer rarely stumbles when he's on the air
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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?
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stumble
Mason Leib,
ABC News,
25 June 2026
Montella watched his team fall 2-0 to Australia, then stumble 1-0 to Paraguay despite having a man advantage in the second half.
—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
25 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
During the first half, Clark stumbled to the ground while driving to the basket, while the Phoenix Mercury's Alyssa Thomas appeared to land on top of her.
—
Mason Leib,
ABC News,
25 June 2026
Montella watched his team fall 2-0 to Australia, then stumble 1-0 to Paraguay despite having a man advantage in the second half.
—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
25 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
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So far, Milei has defended his Cabinet chief, even as the scandal damaged his government’s public image, constrained his political leverage in negotiations with allies and undermined his communication about spending cuts to Argentines scraping by on salaries that increasingly fall behind inflation.
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As opposed to the first film, where a good girl falls for a bad boy, the sequel turns the concept upside down, with Pfeiffer playing the bad girl who falls for a good boy.
Verb
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In addition, composters are struggling with the amount of plastic and other debris that people and businesses put in the food waste bins.
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Cristiano Ronaldo looks to be in top form after struggling in his World Cup opener, scoring two goals already today.
Verb
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The company has since shuffled several leaders, including naming a new human resources chief and the company’s first chief digital officer.
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The assistant shuffled to one side and the scene reset.
Verb
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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.
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OnlyFans fumbled a previous version of this dilemma.
Noun
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The Dodgers took full advantage of the Padres’ defensive mistakes to jump-start their offense.
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Bad luck happens, but preventable mistakes almost always cause road problems.
Noun
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After the post-COVID inflation spike, farmers had to pay higher input costs, then saw prices for their crops tumble.
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And in tumble Spiderman and Hulk, swords in hand, a shy Snow White with her wellies on wrong, and Pocahontas cuddling a teddy.
Verb
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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.
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Industry watchers are wondering aloud whether the AI lab is slipping back from the lead pack in the AI race.
Verb
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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.
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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 29 Jun. 2026.
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