tumble

verb tum·ble \ ˈtəm-bəl \

|Updated on: 14 Aug 2018

Examples: tumble in a Sentence

Definition of tumble

tumbled; tumbling play \ˈtəm-b(ə-)liŋ\

intransitive verb

1 a : 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

2 a : 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)

2 a : to throw together in a confused mass

b : rumple, disorder

3 : to whirl in a tumbling barrel

See tumble defined for English-language learners

See tumble defined for kids

Examples of tumble in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of tumble from the Web

Without a deal on the backstop there can be no withdrawal treaty, and Britain will tumble off the Brexit cliff edge on March 29th 2019.

— The Economist, "The EU digests Britain’s new Brexit plan," 11 July 2018
But since the asphalt surface was laid, more manufacturers have entered the fray and the records have come tumbling down.

— dan neil, WSJ, "Volkswagen’s All-Electric Effort to Climb Out of Its P.R. Hole," 4 July 2018
Ask about those memories, and the stories come tumbling out.

— katie park, Philly.com, "92 years in, Zerns Farmer's Market says it will fold in September," 25 June 2018
The statue starts to wobble and tilts towards the floor, then mighty Aphrodite comes tumbling down.

— caitlin o'kane, CBS News, "5-year-old knocks over statue that cost six figures, sparking debate over who should have to pay for it," 18 June 2018
All these were commonplace during the heyday home equity borrowing binge years of 2004-2006, just before the market came tumbling down.

— kenneth r. harney, chicagotribune.com, "Taxpayers get good news from IRS on home equity lines of credit," 7 Mar. 2018
The mammoth movie house came tumbling down to make way for a Safeway supermarket.

— debbie arrington, sacbee, "Legendary Sacramento movie theater gets star treatment in new documentary," 16 Feb. 2018
The house exploded, sending wood, bricks and a large part of the building’s roof tumbling down.

— christopher mele, New York Times, "2 Plead Guilty to Manslaughter in Gas Explosion That Killed a Fire Chief," 13 July 2018
Security cameras captured the gun tumbling out of Claps’ jacket as well as the judge picking up the silver pistol and putting it in his pants pocket.

— megan crepeau, chicagotribune.com, "Judge who dropped gun in courthouse to remain on administrative duties," 11 July 2018

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.

Origin and Etymology of tumble

Middle English, frequentative of tumben to dance, from Old English tumbian; akin to Old High German tūmōn to reel

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

See Words from the same year

tumble Synonyms

tumble

noun

Definition of tumble

1 a : a disordered mass of objects or material

b : a disorderly state

2 : an act or instance of tumbling

See tumble defined for English-language learners

Examples of tumble in a Sentence

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 of tumble from the Web

The ex-wide receiver took a tumble on the Wingnuts section of the course.

— oona goodin-smith, Philly.com, "Your guide to the Fourth in Philly, study finds city hiring slow | Morning Newsletter," 27 June 2018
The median sales price in Sacramento County hit $360,000 in May, the highest price in any month since 2006, just before real estate prices took a major tumble amid deep recession.

— tony bizjak, sacbee, "Are Sacramento home prices reaching 'bubble' bursting levels?," 22 June 2018
Billerica takes a tumble following losses to top 5 teams North Andover and Duxbury.

— BostonGlobe.com, "High school boys' lacrosse rankings," 3 May 2018
Airline shares, for instance, took a tumble the first two months of the year amid rising investor concerns that expansion plans among carriers would lead to excess capacity as well as a price war.

— akane otani, WSJ, "Transport Shares Shine After Slow Start to 2018," 14 Mar. 2018
The towering cascades of Minnehaha Falls tumble in a popular, multi-tiered waterfall near Lake Rabun.

— eric champlin, ajc, "40 must-visit waterfalls in North Georgia," 14 June 2018
Inspect your gear and wash your clothes with hot water, followed by a tumble in a hot dry is important too, the CDC says.

— korin miller, SELF, "The 11 Most Effective Tick and Mosquito Protection Tips You Need This Summer," 4 May 2018
Mirroring Texas’ slump, Houston ISD also saw declines, including a significant tumble in reading scores.

— jacob carpenter, Houston Chronicle, "Texas, HISD get lower marks in reading, math on ‘Nation’s Report Card’," 10 Apr. 2018
For the second consecutive year, the United States has taken a tumble in the World Happiness Report’s annual ranking of more than 150 countries, published by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, an initiative of the United Nations.

— alex horton, Washington Post, "Perhaps tired of winning, the United States falls in World Happiness rankings — again," 14 Mar. 2018

First Known Use of tumble

1634

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

tumble Synonyms

Synonyms

chaos, confusion, disarrangement, disarray, dishevelment, disorder, disorderedness, disorderliness, disorganization, free-for-all, havoc, heck, hell, jumble, mare's nest, mess, messiness, misorder, muddle, muss, shambles, welter;

Antonyms

order, orderliness;

Near Antonyms

method, pattern, plan, system;

Related Words

anarchy, lawlessness, misrule, riot;

knot, snarl, tangle;

labyrinth, maze, web;

maelstrom, storm;

bollix, clutter, litter, mishmash, shuffle;

hodgepodge, medley, miscellany, morass, motley;

TUMBLE Defined for English Language Learners

tumble

verb

Definition of tumble for English Language Learners

: to fall down suddenly and quickly
: to fall forward while turning over
: to fall or drop suddenly in amount, value, etc.

tumble

noun

Definition of tumble for English Language Learners

: an act of falling or tumbling
: an athletic movement in which you roll or turn your body across the ground or through the air

TUMBLE Defined for Kids

tumble

verb tum·ble \ ˈtəm-bəl \

Definition of tumble for Students

tumbled; tumbling

1 : to fall suddenly and helplessly

He tumbled off the bridge.

2 : to fall while rolling or bouncing

Boxes tumbled down the stairs.

3 : to move or go in a hurried or confused way

The children tumbled out of the bus.

4 : to toss together into a confused mass

5 : to perform gymnastic feats of rolling and turning

6 : to suffer a sudden downward turn or defeat

The value of gold tumbled.

tumble

noun

Definition of tumble for Students

1 : an act or instance of falling often while rolling or bouncing

Peter gave the dice a quick tumble.
—Chris Van Allsburg, Jumanji

2 : a messy state or collection

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tumble

Definition of tumble

Examples of tumble in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of tumble

tumble Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

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Related Words

tumble

Definition of tumble

Examples of tumble in a Sentence

Recent Examples of tumble from the Web

First Known Use of tumble

tumble Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

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Related Phrases

TUMBLE Defined for English Language Learners

tumble

Definition of tumble for English Language Learners

tumble

Definition of tumble for English Language Learners

TUMBLE Defined for Kids

tumble

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tumble

Definition of tumble for Students

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