STUMBLED Synonyms: 124 Similar and Opposite Words

stumbled

verb

past tense of stumble

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

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

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

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. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of stumbled Lundgren got out from the driver’s side of the vehicle, stumbled across the opposing lane of traffic, and leaped over the side of the bridge into Table Rock Lake below, the sheriff said. — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 22 July 2026 Evans stumbled into it and is still visibly working out what to do with it. — Ian Shepherd, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026 The little wheeled robot stumbled across rounded pebbles — strong evidence that they had been exposed to flowing water. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 20 July 2026 But in the biggest spotlight of his career to date, the 2017 Players champion stumbled. — Justin Ray, New York Times, 19 July 2026 And while Burns stumbled, another American came charging from the middle of the pack. — Dan Zaksheske, FOXNews.com, 19 July 2026 But if the numbers hold up, Orange County may have stumbled onto something much bigger than baseball. — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 July 2026 After departing Ecuador en route to El Segundo, members of the crew stumbled upon an unexpected find inside the ship’s garbage — trash bags filled with cocaine, 430 pounds of it. — Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026 In fact, many were tourists who stumbled on it after getting off the Amtrak, wanting to see the iconic train station. — Kansas City Star, 11 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumbled

Verb

But the traps that felled Starmer lurk in most issues Burnham must tackle.

— Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
Spain came into the game unbeaten in 36 games and took the lead from the penalty spot when Lucas Digne swung a leg without looking and felled Lamine Yamal.

— Jack Lang, New York Times, 14 July 2026

Definition of fell

Verb

The 17 passengers and crew who lived told investigators everyone survived the landing, but many passengers struggled to locate life vests and the crew had a difficult time pulling out life rafts.

— Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 22 July 2026
Brayden Burries, Bucks While most of the vaunted crop of rookie guards from the NCAA ranks struggled, Burries was a glaring exception.

— John Hollinger, New York Times, 22 July 2026

Definition of struggled

Verb

The Giants scored the game’s first run in the top of the third when Mariners center fielder Luke Raley fumbled the ball on Bryce Eldridge’s single with runners on first and second.

— Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 19 July 2026
Basabe, 48, fumbled his way through the trial, often seeming confused about the legal proceedings.

— Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026

Definition of fumbled

Verb

Rubio is the president’s top adviser on both national security and diplomacy at a moment when the United States has blundered into an unpopular war that appears to be a strategic catastrophe.

— David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 11 May 2026
Padres fielders blundered in three of his outings.

— Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026