stumbles; stumbled; stumbling
1
: to hit your foot on something when you are walking or running so that you fall or almost fall : trip
I stumbled on the uneven pavement.
The horse stumbled and almost fell.
2
always followed by an adverb or preposition
: to walk in an awkward way
He stumbled drunkenly across the room.
He stumbled over to the table.
She usually stumbles out of bed [=gets out of bed] around 7:00 am.
3
a
: to speak or act in an awkward way
I heard him stumble over the unfamiliar words.
She stumbled through an apology.
b
: to begin to have problems after a time of success
The economy has stumbled in recent months.
4
always followed by an adverb or preposition
: to find or learn about something unexpectedly
I stumbled across/on/upon [=found] this book by chance.
He stumbled onto [=found out] the truth.
We stumbled onto/across the ruins of an old fort.
They stumbled on/upon [=discovered] a bizarre plot.
Cite this Entry
“Stumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/stumble. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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