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.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stumbled
Investigators suspect 16-year-old Star Grant and a 28-year-old accomplice killed the girl’s parents and grandmother on May 1 – six days before deputies stumbled onto the crime during a May 7 welfare check, the warrant states.
—
Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 13 May 2026
The chain had steady growth in 2024, but seems to have stumbled in California.
—Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Other players dropped balls or stumbled or got an earful from coaches for being out of position.
—Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
Home Farm is a place with soul, and one that, once stumbled upon, feels like a treasure find.
—Sarah Leigh Bannerman, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 May 2026
South Africa has stumbled into a classic policy trap.
—Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 8 May 2026
Early in the first period when Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson stumbled at the blue line, Benson was there to pick up the loose puck.
—Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 8 May 2026
With Colorado on the power play, the Avs icon lost the puck near the Minnesota blue line and stumbled while retreating.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 4 May 2026
But Musk stumbled at least seven times in ways that possibly put his chances at winning in jeopardy.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 30 Apr. 2026
Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 13 May 2026
The chain had steady growth in 2024, but seems to have stumbled in California.
—Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Other players dropped balls or stumbled or got an earful from coaches for being out of position.
—Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
Home Farm is a place with soul, and one that, once stumbled upon, feels like a treasure find.
—Sarah Leigh Bannerman, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 May 2026
South Africa has stumbled into a classic policy trap.
—Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 8 May 2026
Early in the first period when Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson stumbled at the blue line, Benson was there to pick up the loose puck.
—Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 8 May 2026
With Colorado on the power play, the Avs icon lost the puck near the Minnesota blue line and stumbled while retreating.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 4 May 2026
But Musk stumbled at least seven times in ways that possibly put his chances at winning in jeopardy.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 30 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumbled
Verb
-
But they were felled by poor shooting Friday, making just 35% overall and were particularly bad from long range.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
2 May 2026
-
But before he was felled at age 68 by a heart attack, Joiner had shared what was in the briefcase with the lead Louisiana State Police investigator on the case, Stefan Montgomery, Joiner's son and the LSP confirmed.—
Stephanie Gosk,
NBC news,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In April, Jeremy Doku and Antoine Semenyo proved to be an effective outlet as Chelsea struggled to cope with their pace.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
-
During her weekslong trial, friends of Richinses described how the couple had moments of material strife and struggled with infidelity.—
Minyvonne Burke,
NBC news,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Shielded by her team, Cardi B shuffled out to the street, a blob of black nylon.—
Jane Bua,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
Women in America’s boardrooms made strides as corporations shuffled their mostly White and male lineups in the face of the historic pushback in 2020.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
As print and television media fumbled their way online, Gawker used the internet to pull back the curtain on celebrity, mainstream media, politics and creeping commercialism.—
Frank DiGiacomo,
HollywoodReporter,
8 May 2026
-
In its bid to get out in front of the FCC’s inquiry, however, the NFL may have fumbled its advantage over CBS.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Hawaii, however, tripped UC Irvine, with the Anteaters falling 3-1 (25-15, 18-25, 18-25, 20-25) in the championship match.—
Jordan Puente,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
-
McAvoy was ejected for his retaliatory two-handed slash to the right arm of Benson, who seconds earlier tripped him and sent him crashing into the boards.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
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
Verb
-
Rollins repeatedly stomped Breakker in the face and lined up for The Stomp, but Breakker countered, grabbed Rollins’ foot and hit a military press into a gutbuster.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2026
-
Guest shark Rashaun Williams strapped on his court shoes, wiped them on their mini mat and stomped onto their court.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The farmer then slipped into a coma and only came out of it a few weeks later, with doctors calling him a miracle, per the BBC.—
Gina Kalsi,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
-
However, last season the singer quietly slipped into stadiums and attended every home game largely under the radar.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stumbled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumbled. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
