stumble

verb

stum·ble | \ ˈstəm-bəl

stumbled; stumbling\ ˈstəm-b(ə-)liŋ

Definition of stumble

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1a : 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

3a : to walk unsteadily or clumsily

b : to speak or act in a hesitant or faltering manner

4a : 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 : bewilder, confound

stumble

noun

Definition of stumble (Entry 2 of 2)

: an act or instance of stumbling

Other Words from stumble Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about stumble

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Other Words from stumble

Verb

stumbler \ ˈstəm-b(ə-)lər

\ noun

stumblingly \ ˈstəm-b(ə-)liŋ-lē

\ adverb

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

According to the trailer, the movie will center around a group of friends who stumble upon a creepy book belonging to a mysterious girl named Sarah. — De Elizabeth, Teen Vogue, "Watch the First Trailer for "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark"," 30 Mar. 2019 The tweet also cuts Hevesh’s intro, which acts as a welcome to her channel for those who stumble upon the video. — Julia Alexander, The Verge, "YouTube faces backlash on Twitter over lifted, uncredited holiday video," 26 Dec. 2018 Her Supergirl has a secret identity as mild-mannered reporter Clara Keene, who stumbles around the office, suffers a horrible sinus condition and swoons over a fellow reporter. — Tom Keogh, The Seattle Times, "Carol Burnett comes to Seattle to banter, answer questions — and possibly do the Tarzan yell," 9 Oct. 2018 The penultimate film in Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Avengers: Endgame, premiered this weekend, and fans across the world stumbled out of their respective theaters in a daze over the stunning three-hour conclusion of the Infinity Saga. — Ineye Komonibo, Marie Claire, "I Really, Really Miss Captain America's Beard," 29 Apr. 2019 Chip walked in to get his car fixed and stumbled on a photo of the 23-year-old Joanna hanging on the wall. — Sara Rodrigues, House Beautiful, "Chip and Joanna Gaineses' Love Story Is Better Than The Notebook," 19 Apr. 2019 Legislation needed to construct a new rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River stumbled in Albany and Trenton this month as lawmakers push for more public oversight of the entity that will build it. — Paul Berger, WSJ, "Gateway Rail Tunnel Project Hits Another Hurdle," 18 Apr. 2019 Despite agreeing to live in a small town, Claire and Jamie stumble upon a pretty view, fall in love, and immediately decide to live there with a land grant. — Mehera Bonner, Harper's BAZAAR, "The 7 Biggest Reveals from Outlander Season 4 Episode 3," 19 Nov. 2018 Veep has never been unaware of gender politics, either, just stumbling into situations that highlight institutional biases. — Chloe Schama, Vogue, "Anna Chlumsky: Veep Was Never a Show About Feminism. And It Was Always a Show About Feminism.," 29 Mar. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Yet expected growth, unless Beijing steps back and new competitors stumble, is clearly slower. — Jacky Wong, WSJ, "Tough Days for China’s Tech Giants," 7 Sep. 2018 But two weeks after Solari guided Madrid to the Club World Cup title, the club is back in trouble after consecutive stumbles left it far behind in the Spanish league title race. — Joseph Wilson, The Seattle Times, "Real Madrid back in trouble as Solari effect loses luster," 6 Jan. 2019 Xiaomi’s high-profile stumble may have a chilling effect on a swathe of Chinese tech corporations keen on raising capital this year to fuel their ambitions, from Meituan Dianping in Hong Kong to Tencent Music in the U.S. — Ian Mount, Fortune, "Chinese Smartphone Maker Xiaomi’s Monster IPO Flops on Its First Day of Trading," 9 July 2018 Starting pitchers Mike Foltynewicz and Sean Newcomb are living up to their billing as former first-round picks after previous stumbles, solidifying a rotation that has shaved more than a run off last season’s 4.80 ERA. — Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY, "'Future is now' for Braves thanks to historic young duo of Ozzie Albies, Ronald Acuña Jr.," 23 May 2018 For all of Tillerson’s bureaucratic stumbles, some of the president’s most bitter adversaries credited the ex-oilman with acting as an adult and serving with dignity even as Trump publicly humiliated him. — Washington Post, "Pick for top diplomat seen as tight with the president," 14 Mar. 2018 But a string of recent foreign-policy stumbles by the European Union are stirring deep concern in European capitals about the region’s capacity to be a player in a new, more volatile and dangerous world order. — Laurence Norman, WSJ, "In a Volatile World, Europe Struggles to Find Its Voice," 18 Feb. 2019 That run of form has coincided with a simultaneous stumble by Western Conference contenders to suddenly leave that first-round bye up-for-grabs. — Geoff Baker, The Seattle Times, "Forget the playoffs, Sounders now have a shot at a first-round bye," 14 Aug. 2018 Snap, Inc’s flagship Snapchat social media platform has rolled out a photo filter that highlights the recent stumbles of its biggest rival — Facebook. — David Z. Morris, Fortune, "Snapchat’s April Fools' Gag Pokes Fun at Facebook's Russian Bot Problem," 1 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stumble.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.