tumble

verb

tum·ble | \ ˈtəm-bəl

tumbled; tumbling\ ˈtəm-b(ə-)liŋ

Definition of tumble

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1a : to fall suddenly and helplessly

b : to suffer a sudden downfall, overthrow, or defeat

c : to decline suddenly and sharply (as in price) : drop the stock market tumbled

d : to fall into ruin : collapse

2a : to perform gymnastic feats in tumbling

b : to turn end over end in falling or flight

3 : to roll over and over, to and fro, or end over end : toss

4 : to issue forth hurriedly and confusedly

5 : to come by chance : stumble

6 : to come to understand : catch on didn't tumble to the seriousness of the problem

transitive verb

1 : to cause to tumble (as by pushing or toppling)

2a : to throw together in a confused mass

b : rumple, disorder

3 : to whirl in a tumbling barrel

tumble

noun

Definition of tumble (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : a disordered mass of objects or material

b : a disorderly state

2 : an act or instance of tumbling

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about tumble

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Examples of tumble in a Sentence

Verb

He tripped and tumbled to the ground. The statue came tumbling down during the riots. The satellite was tumbling out of control. She slipped and tumbled down the hill. Everyone came tumbling out of the bar at closing time. He tumbled into bed and fell asleep. Water tumbled over the rocks.

Noun

cleaned a crazy tumble of buttons, hair bands, loose change, and old candy wrappers out from the couch cushions took a little tumble on the ice

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Circus camp activities include silk climbing, the trapeze, the Spanish web (a rope and spinning activity), Lyra (aerial hoops), Diablo (Chinese yo-yo), the unicycle, juggling, plate spinning, tumbling and acrobatics and more. — Staff Report, chicagotribune.com, "Circus camp teaches kids more than about clowning around: 'They're building their confidence'," 18 June 2018 Wochit The economy has shifted into high gear, with corporate profits surging, bankruptcies and foreclosures tumbling and the national unemployment rate easing to 3.8 percent, an 18-year low. — Russ Wiles, azcentral, "How to keep on top of your personal finances in a growing economy," 10 June 2018 Javy Baez made a leaping, tumbling and acrobatic — also, more like insane— grab into the stands at Wrigley Field on Tuesday against the Phillies. — Charlotte Carroll, SI.com, "Watch: Javy Baez Dives Into Wrigley Field Stands for Insane Catch," 5 June 2018 Unemployment has tumbled and residents are pouring in Nashville also a contender for Amazon.com’s new headquarters Welcome to Nashville, AllianceBernstein Holding LP. — Bloomberg.com, "AllianceBernstein's Nashville Move Adds to Music City's Boom," 2 May 2018 Poretz was sent tumbling and Senior Senator suffered a broken neck. — Mike Frainie, baltimoresun.com, "Senior Senator rolls to victory in 122nd Maryland Hunt Cup," 28 Apr. 2018 After a solid start in the tumbling event, the Ducks raised the bar even higher in the final three heats. — Tyson Alger, OregonLive.com, "Royce Freeman taken by Denver Broncos with 71st pick in NFL Draft," 27 Apr. 2018 Among Muslims the system helps Sunnis, whose power has been eroded by the collapse of Saudi support and the tumbling fortunes of their main political party. — The Economist, "Lebanon’s political system leads to paralysis and corruption," 19 Apr. 2018 The gambit looked promising at the start, when the value of these loans tumbled last year. — Esther Fung, WSJ, "Mall Bear Doubles Down on Bet, Even as Shopping Centers Show Some Life," 7 Aug. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Meanwhile, a spike in gasoline prices—the thing that most often prompts consumers to suddenly dip into savings—doesn’t seem like a threat following crude oil’s recent tumble. — Justin Lahart, WSJ, "Cross U.S. Consumers Off the Worry List," 14 Dec. 2018 Ibrahimovic and the Galaxy have undoubtedly been frustrated by their recent skid, which has seen the club tumble to ninth in the Western Conference. — Avi Creditor, SI.com, "WATCH: Zlatan Ibrahimovic Sent Off for Slapping Opponent in the Head," 21 May 2018 Even those who pride themselves in never panicking must give pause after just watching Dow Jones industrial average tumble and threaten at one point Friday to turn in the worst week since the financial crisis in late 2008. — Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, "Wall Street swings down 500, up 500 Friday ... so what's next?," 10 Feb. 2018 Covering her chest was a tumble of jewelry and ornaments—beads, leather, copper, seashells, bells, and glinting studs. — Stanley Stewart, Condé Nast Traveler, "Going Off-Grid in Namibia," 21 Dec. 2018 From tumbles of auburn waves to flaming rubicund curls to blown out brunette, the actress carries off each chameleonic moment with an ease that forces onlookers to question whether perhaps this is her natural color. — Calin Van Paris, Vogue, "This Rising Star Reveals a New Blonde Bombshell Hair Color at Louis Vuitton," 26 Oct. 2018 The plot is intriguing, but what really keeps the book humming along is Balliett’s rich, playful language, deployed in a gorgeous tumble of metaphors, allusions and analogies. — chicagotribune.com, "'Out of the Wild Night': With a splish and a splot and a shree, here comes a ghostly whodunit with heart," 20 Mar. 2018 My client collects a lot of stuff, so having this tumble of boxes that can be vertical or horizontal allows her to play around with the arrangement and change it as her collection changes. — Barbara King, House Beautiful, "Charles O. Schwarz III on Designing a Cozy Home With Scandinavian Style," 21 Jan. 2013 The sofa also includes a ladder to the top bunk, with guardrails on the side of the mattress (so no one takes a tumble off the top). — Maya Mcdowell, House Beautiful, "Every Apartment Needs A Sofa That Transforms Into A Bunk Bed," 28 Jan. 2019

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