1
as in to fall
to go down from an upright position suddenly and involuntarily
the bride stumbled on the altar steps and landed smack in the arms of the minister
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to struggle
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually
stumbled twice while she was reciting the "Gettysburg Address"
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3
as in to shuffle
to move heavily or clumsily
the tipsy revelers left the path and wearily stumbled through the tangled undergrowth
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4
as in to fumble
to make a mistake
that network announcer rarely stumbles when he's on the air
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1
as in mistake
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy
was his hurtful remark a regrettable stumble, or was it made with artful intention?
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stumble
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 5 May 2025
The film follows Billy 5000, a teenage delivery driver who stumbles into a cosmic mystery after a routine gig leaves him caretaker of a mysterious alien egg.
—Carole Horst, Variety, 5 May 2025
Erika Page, Christian Science Monitor, 16 Apr. 2025
Fortunately for the Knicks, Indiana’s stumble ensures their No. 3 seeding remains safe.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stumble
Verb
Oddly enough, where Bonjour Tristesse stumbles is in its storytelling and character psychology, the areas in which one imagines writers excelling.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 5 May 2025
The film follows Billy 5000, a teenage delivery driver who stumbles into a cosmic mystery after a routine gig leaves him caretaker of a mysterious alien egg.
—Carole Horst, Variety, 5 May 2025
Noun
The aftermath will determine if this is a brief stumble for dollar dominance or evidence of a seismic shift in the global financial order.
—Erika Page, Christian Science Monitor, 16 Apr. 2025
Fortunately for the Knicks, Indiana’s stumble ensures their No. 3 seeding remains safe.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stumble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumble
Verb
-
More: Stocks fall, Dow down 800 points as bonds tank amid tax debate.—
Riley Beggin,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
-
Long-term Treasuries fell further Thursday; and yields, which trade in opposite direction to prices, continued to surge.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
22 May 2025
Verb
-
Megill struggled with his command, putting the first three batters on before getting an out.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
11 May 2025
-
Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki has struggled with his command in his stateside debut.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 May 2025
Verb
-
Bemused tourists attempt to shuffle through the acrid red and blue flare smoke.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
18 May 2025
-
All of those departures except for Stark came before the draft, meaning Paton was left to shuffle the chairs and adjust on the fly to ensure the Broncos were prepared.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
16 May 2025
Verb
-
The stress of getting to your airport gate on time, coupled with the excitement of getting to your destination, can cause even the most seasoned of travelers to fumble at security checkpoints.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
17 May 2025
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For example, if an officer sees someone swerving, fumbling with items, or clearly not paying attention to the road, the interior light might factor into a citation for reckless or inattentive driving.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 May 2025
Noun
-
Maybe teams won’t make the mistake the Avalanche did and move Rantanen too soon.—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
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On one hand, speed always enables Chinese players to adapt faster and, if necessary, correct mistakes faster.—
Neil Winton,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
Noun
-
Its delicate, cheerful blooms tumble over walls and sidewalks alike, filling them with tiny blossoms.—
Heather Bien,
Southern Living,
11 May 2025
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The search giant saw its share price tumble 9 percent when Eddy Cue, Apple senior vice president of services, took the stand.—
Julia Shapero,
The Hill,
8 May 2025
Verb
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Shares of Lockheed have slipped nearly 3% so far in 2025.—
Brian Evans,
CNBC,
21 May 2025
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The team has just one win during the past seven games, has given up 20 goals during that spell and slipped to sixth place in the Eastern Conference heading into a road game Saturday against the first-place Philadelphia Union.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
21 May 2025
Verb
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While wearing a mini tuxedo, Lorenzo slowly stomped down the aisle and paused at the puddle of petals.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
People.com,
20 May 2025
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Boston Haitian community joyfully stomped, danced and marched their way down Blue Hill Ave.—
Grace Zokovitch,
Boston Herald,
19 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumble. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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