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"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to shuffle
to move heavily or clumsily
the tipsy revelers left the path and wearily stumbled through the tangled undergrowth
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to fumble
to make a mistake
that network announcer rarely stumbles when he's on the air
Synonyms & Similar Words
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?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stumble
Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 3 June 2026
Debutant Crysencio Summerville’s cross from the right begged to be converted, only for Malen to stumble and scuff wide.
—Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 3 June 2026
Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 18 May 2026
Clearly, there have been more than a few stumbles along the way, but this week, the long-running saga got a new verse as the first validation models were assembled, bringing the EV one step closer to the market.
—Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for stumble
Verb
When reading one lawsuit for the first time, O’Day stops and speaks to the camera, stumbling a bit.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 3 June 2026
Debutant Crysencio Summerville’s cross from the right begged to be converted, only for Malen to stumble and scuff wide.
—Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 3 June 2026
Noun
There have been some other stumbles as well, and sometimes litigation.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 18 May 2026
Clearly, there have been more than a few stumbles along the way, but this week, the long-running saga got a new verse as the first validation models were assembled, bringing the EV one step closer to the market.
—Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for stumble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumble
Verb
-
For the Fever, who entered the season as championship contenders, the first 10 games have fallen well short of expectations, as scrutiny continues to mount on head coach Stephanie White.—
Jackson Thompson OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 June 2026
-
Migrant arrivals in the Canary Islands peaked in 2024 at nearly 47,000, but have fallen dramatically, with just over 2,000 people landing there in the first four months of 2026.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
The Primm family, owners of the land that includes three casino resorts and other businesses along the 15 Freeway, announced Tuesday a partnership intended to save the struggling state-line strip and hundreds of jobs.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
-
Those home-and-away supporters know how much England struggled with the heat during a camp last summer.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
After starting at right tackle, Lomu flipped to the left side as Will Campbell’s top backup when the Patriots shuffled their O-line personnel with Maye still on the field.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
10 June 2026
-
The state's unique open primary — in which the top two contenders advance to the general election regardless of their party affiliation — was plagued by Democratic in-fighting and scandal that repeatedly shuffled the frontrunners.—
Kyler Alvord,
PEOPLE,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
During Miami’s two periods of special teams work Malik Washington fumbled his first kickoff return, but most of the other punt returners and kickoff returned fielded their attempts well.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
2 June 2026
-
But then again, neither is the Bears fumbling and bumbling.—
Jon Greenberg,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
There are always mistakes on the petitions.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
6 June 2026
-
Wembanyama rectified that mistake on the next play.—
Mark Medina,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
Inspect the garment/area where the stain was before tumble drying.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
4 June 2026
-
In the Menil work, the central character is an artist brandishing a bouquet of colored pencils, surrounded by a seraphic tumble of monochrome extras that are her handiwork.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Trip plans unravel fast when flights slip, baggage goes missing, or a surprise cold snap hits the destination.—
Gretchen Wittenmyer-Stone,
Miami Herald,
9 June 2026
-
Because play in football is rarely interrupted, unlike American football, US TV broadcasters had to figure out creative ways to slip ads into games.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Guests are invited to partake in the tradition of stomping grapes with their bare feet to get the juice out for creating wine.—
Carlos Rico,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 June 2026
-
The emphasis on winning to keep kids signed up and continue making money has stomped creativity out of American players, who are encouraged to play safely to ensure results instead of developing a players’ feel for the game.—
Andy Yamashita,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumble. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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