stumble

1 of 2

verb

stum·​ble ˈstəm-bəl How to pronounce stumble (audio)
stumbled; stumbling ˈstəm-b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce stumble (audio)

intransitive verb

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

transitive verb

1
: to cause to stumble : trip
2
stumbler noun
stumblingly adverb

stumble

2 of 2

noun

: an act or instance of stumbling

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
Verb
The costume designer had stumbled across a documentary about mushrooms. Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 24 Oct. 2024 Exhausted and hungry, the prospectors stumbled into Dawson City in the late summer of 1898 after a grueling journey—and found what must have seemed a mirage. Melanie Haiken, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024
Noun
When Esteban hits a major stumble in the boxing ring, his best friend and manager, the bewildering and Botox-loving Andy (an unrecognizable Luna), decides to take matters into his own hands. Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 9 Oct. 2024 The Yankees know by now merely being the best in the AL hardly guarantees anything and how tricky the division series can be from their stumbles in the 1995, 1997, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2018 and 2020 editions of the best-of-five series. Larry Fleisher, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for stumble 

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

Dictionary Entries Near stumble

Cite this Entry

“Stumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stumble. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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
-b(ə-)lər
noun
stumblingly
-b(ə-)liŋ-lē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on stumble

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