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
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Recent Examples of stumbled
Illinois bolted an early 15-3 lead as USC stumbled out of the gate, turning the ball over four times in the first six minutes and missing seven of its first eight shots.
—
Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
But in a market with no room for error, the cybersecurity giant stumbled on guidance, and the stock sank.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 18 Feb. 2026
As the friend stumbled, one bullet hit him in the buttock and pierced his small intestine.
—Simon Hughes, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2026
Unexpectedly, though, operators stumbled across an issue with ground support equipment that could cause more headaches for a crucial moon mission that has already slipped at least a month from its target launch date.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 16 Feb. 2026
But Jackson stumbled out of a turn and couldn’t make up enough time to reach the podium.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 15 Feb. 2026
Naumov also stumbled in his routine and ended up finishing 20th in the overall competition.
—The Sports Desk, NBC news, 14 Feb. 2026
Shares stumbled last week on news about job openings in December hitting their lowest level in five years as investors tried to assess the health of the economy and figure out whether to cash in on pricey stocks.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
Both the Bobcats and Blue Devils have stumbled, and Yale is in a dogfight in the Ivy League.
—Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 11 Feb. 2026
Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
But in a market with no room for error, the cybersecurity giant stumbled on guidance, and the stock sank.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 18 Feb. 2026
As the friend stumbled, one bullet hit him in the buttock and pierced his small intestine.
—Simon Hughes, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2026
Unexpectedly, though, operators stumbled across an issue with ground support equipment that could cause more headaches for a crucial moon mission that has already slipped at least a month from its target launch date.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 16 Feb. 2026
But Jackson stumbled out of a turn and couldn’t make up enough time to reach the podium.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 15 Feb. 2026
Naumov also stumbled in his routine and ended up finishing 20th in the overall competition.
—The Sports Desk, NBC news, 14 Feb. 2026
Shares stumbled last week on news about job openings in December hitting their lowest level in five years as investors tried to assess the health of the economy and figure out whether to cash in on pricey stocks.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
Both the Bobcats and Blue Devils have stumbled, and Yale is in a dogfight in the Ivy League.
—Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 11 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumbled
Verb
-
Cortina Mayor Gianluca Lorenzi received death threats after centuries-old trees were felled to make way for a $131 million bobsledding track.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Afterward, Agnes and I were felled by the kind of hunger that overtakes only those who have exerted themselves in cold weather.—
Boris Fishman,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
With its dynamic freshman depleted from flu and another starter, Chad Baker-Mazara, still out due to injury, USC struggled to find a consistent source of offense.—
Ryan Kartje,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Founder Sherille Riley, who previously worked as a facialist for high-end brands like La Prairie and Crème de la Mer, had until recently struggled to shop for K-beauty in person and initially bought the products online – only to run the risk of long shipping times or unknowingly buying a fake.—
Kati Chitrakorn,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
That means there aren’t going to be just a few chairs shuffled around; my suspicion is much of the roster likely will be overhauled in the next few years.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
-
On Thursday afternoon, about 300 people in a mix of puffer coats and fleeces shuffled in place on a line that snaked south along Seventh Avenue to West 10th Street, wrapped around Julius’ and circled back — an Ouroborous.—
Adriane Quinlan,
Curbed,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
When Kahn fumbled Rivaldo’s shot from the edge of the box, Ronaldo was on hand to convert the rebound.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
15 Feb. 2026
-
In turn, the Heat fumbled it away.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Fighting Illini coach Brad Underwood asked officials to review whether Fears intentionally tripped David Mirkovic after stopping in front of him.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Feb. 2026
-
May was right that Fears tripped Lendeborg, a dirty play that should have resulted in a flagrant foul.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Ciara is thawing towards West, and getting goats for the party helped, even though one stomped all over Levi’s face.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The first trailer for this macho survival flick just stomped onto the internet last week with a gung-ho spirit and guns blazing.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
For the occasion, Ice Spice slipped into glossy patent leather pumps with an ultra-sharp pointed toe.—
Kelsey Stewart,
Footwear News,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Shares of Eli Lilly have popped 17% over the past 12 months but have slipped 5% this year.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Palo Alto Networks — Shares of the cybersecurity company tumbled 6% after Palo Alto issued a weak earnings forecast for the current quarter.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Last week, Wall Street shook when stocks of software and other companies tumbled as investors hunted for companies that could be potential losers if AI ends up remaking the world and their industries.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stumbled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumbled. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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