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
And then, of course, there are the migrants: When Elisa and I arrived in Aguadilla, the airport guard told us how his father, a hunter, had stumbled upon a Dominican family in Cueva Negra, seeking shelter from the midday sun, trying to imagine an alternative to turning themselves in. Carina Del Valle Schorske, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024 Most of the people affected may never know about their parentage, but these days, many are stumbling into the truth after AncestryDNA and 23andMe tests. Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 18 Mar. 2024 Indeed, the decision represents something of a second chance for the team’s former fifth-round draft pick, who stumbled through his first foray into the majors last year by posting a 14.40 ERA in his first three career outings. Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2024 The baby finally asleep, Mars and I would stumble into the dining room to find the table set for three, candles lit, wine poured. Mackenzie Chung Fegan, Bon Appétit, 18 Mar. 2024 The body of her son, Cairo Jordan, was discovered on April 16, 2022, in a heavily wooded area of eastern Washington County, when a man hunting for mushrooms stumbled upon a hard-shell suitcase with a body inside of it, authorities said. Brian Anthony Hernandez, Peoplemag, 17 Mar. 2024 In the late 1990s, Levin figured, correctly, that the Internet would forever alter the way media was delivered and sought a dramatic way in for Time Warner, which had stumbled with its own lackluster digital initiatives like Entertaindom and Full Service Network. Paul Bond, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024 Republicans did the same with Biden, showing a montage of him stumbling over his words. Devlin Barrett, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 The Republicans sat like stubborn sourpusses eager for the 81-year-old president to stumble. Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024
Noun
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 An excerpt of our conversation is included later in this newsletter. ECONOMIC INDICATORS While 2024 started as a banner year for the markets, this last week brought a major stumble. Megan Poinski, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 Then call it another big stumble in a season full of potholes that excuses can’t fill. Helene Elliott, Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2024 That political weakness has been accentuated by occasional trips, falls and verbal stumbles that are recirculated on social media with far more velocity than any triumphant clips from his speeches. Nicholas Nehamas, New York Times, 8 Mar. 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

Dictionary Entries Near stumble

Cite this Entry

“Stumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stumble. Accessed 29 Mar. 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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