1
as in fell
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 struggled
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 shuffled
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 fumbled
to make a mistake
that network announcer rarely stumbles when he's on the air
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of stumbled
An Easter Sunday celebration at a Long Beach, California park took a disturbing turn when a person searching for hidden eggs stumbled upon a human skull partially buried in dense brush.
—
Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Apr. 2026
In trading Angel Reese yesterday, this franchise stumbled upon a crossroad.
—Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
Her partial remains were discovered in Manorville, New York, after a group of hikers stumbled upon a suspicious black bag that November.
—Julia Bonavita , Jennifer Johnson, FOXNews.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Hunters exploring in a remote section of the 500,000-acre Pisgah National Forest stumbled onto a body in the dark, according to investigators in western North Carolina.
—Mark Price
april 5, Charlotte Observer, 5 Apr. 2026
After being shot, Chatfield stumbled back into his apartment, seeking help from his mother, Walter Fields, an attorney and longtime friend of the family told the Daily News.
—Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 3 Apr. 2026
After missing three weeks of exhibitions with a strained adductor muscle, Jung rushed to get ready for the season and then stumbled to an 0 for 18 start.
—Evan Grant, Dallas Morning News, 3 Apr. 2026
Washington says Prince stumbled out of his room moments later.
—Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
The nearest Portugal defender stumbled as the ball came to Pulisic just in front of the 6-yard box.
—Michael Cunningham, AJC.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Apr. 2026
In trading Angel Reese yesterday, this franchise stumbled upon a crossroad.
—Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
Her partial remains were discovered in Manorville, New York, after a group of hikers stumbled upon a suspicious black bag that November.
—Julia Bonavita , Jennifer Johnson, FOXNews.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Hunters exploring in a remote section of the 500,000-acre Pisgah National Forest stumbled onto a body in the dark, according to investigators in western North Carolina.
—Mark Price
april 5, Charlotte Observer, 5 Apr. 2026
After being shot, Chatfield stumbled back into his apartment, seeking help from his mother, Walter Fields, an attorney and longtime friend of the family told the Daily News.
—Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 3 Apr. 2026
After missing three weeks of exhibitions with a strained adductor muscle, Jung rushed to get ready for the season and then stumbled to an 0 for 18 start.
—Evan Grant, Dallas Morning News, 3 Apr. 2026
Washington says Prince stumbled out of his room moments later.
—Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
The nearest Portugal defender stumbled as the ball came to Pulisic just in front of the 6-yard box.
—Michael Cunningham, AJC.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumbled
Verb
-
Jeff Shell, now felled from his presidency of Paramount, is living proof.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Floorboards were milled from walnut trees felled at a construction site in North Carolina.—
Adriane Quinlan,
Curbed,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The four-seam fastball was better, that’s something he’s struggled with the command of.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
-
He was signed with Växjö in the SHL and dominated with their J20 team, but struggled early on in the season, resulting in a loan to Nybro in the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan.—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
After the offense was shut out on four hits in Tuesday night’s 2-0 loss to the Angels, Counsell shuffled the lineup.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Instead, Meyerson was shuffled to three different ALFs in six months — from Hialeah to Kendall to Homestead.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In the 88th minute, Neuer fumbled a routine shot and allowed Joselu to equalise.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Fans were exiting en masse in the top of the ninth when Frelick’s RBI single off Rule 5 rookie Ryan Watson, fumbled by reigning AL Gold Glove centerfielder Ceddanne Rafaela, increased Milwaukee’s lead to three.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In one video, a horse tripped on a curb and fell over, toppling its rider before running off.—
Nick Sullivan
April 9,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Wembanyama had tripped over his shoelace, the referees determined.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Back in the team after injury, Neuer made strong saves in the first half but blundered for Freiburg's second, leaping out of his goal to palm a corner straight to Freiburg striker Lucas Höler for an easy second.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The growing political noise raises questions about whether Netflix, which has had one of the cleanest business strategies and investment stories in media, blundered into its first big M&A swing.—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents stomped around here like rabid Goths wearing bearskin vests.—
Joe Soucheray,
Twin Cities,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Frustration boiled over on the Huskies’ sideline as Hurley stomped his foot and earned a technical foul from referee James Breeding with 12 and a half minutes left in the half.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Perhaps in his quiet time, Leo has slipped on the size 52 jersey, just for fun.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Contracts for homes above $10 million rose sharply in the first quarter, even as overall deal volume slipped.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stumbled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumbled. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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