1
as in falls
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in struggles
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 shuffles
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 fumbles
to make a mistake
that network announcer rarely stumbles when he's on the air
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in mistakes
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of stumbles
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 29 Oct. 2025
With the three Premier League stumbles and a grating 1-0 Champions League shutout to Galatasaray, Liverpool found itself with four uninterrupted losses for the first time since 2014.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
The right side is nearly always wrong and blatantly lying, while the left side supposedly stumbles into falsehood every once in a while.
—Tim Graham, Boston Herald, 25 Oct. 2025
The trio stumbles upon a crucial piece of evidence - and promptly compromises it.
—Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
To summarize, the protagonist, lost in hopeless days, eventually stumbles upon a deserted dance hall.
—Billboard Japan, Billboard, 17 Oct. 2025
Those stumbles aside, the future is looking pretty promising for Crumbl.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2025
Things do get more interesting when Mia stumbles upon an improbable house in the middle of the woods, occupied by a witchy old lady (Robin Bartlett).
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 13 Oct. 2025
The film follows a finance guy named Alex (Arnett), who after splitting from his wife Tess (Laura Dern), stumbles into an unlikely hobby as a standup comic.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 10 Oct. 2025
Dr. Nicholas Cozzi, Time, 10 Nov. 2025
For so much of his career, though, he was defined by his stumbles in October.
—Andy McCullough, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
Because disruption doesn’t wait, when a brand giant stumbles, challengers such as fast-growing On and Hoka are the ones capturing the revenue that is left behind.
—Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2025
However, there were stumbles along the way.
—Sarah Jones, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
The album is not without some small stumbles.
—Juan J. Arroyo, Rolling Stone, 26 Sep. 2025
If the connection is spotty or the model is hosted hundreds of miles away, even the most advanced AI stumbles.
—Ivo Ivanov, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
That’s where this eight-episode show stumbles.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 18 Sep. 2025
The lawsuit marks the latest in a series of stumbles at Verily, which, despite raising more than $1 billion from investors, has struggled to latch onto a winning product.
—Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
But Zoë’s first adaptation stumbles out of the gate — in large part because this show isn’t really her show.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 29 Oct. 2025
With the three Premier League stumbles and a grating 1-0 Champions League shutout to Galatasaray, Liverpool found itself with four uninterrupted losses for the first time since 2014.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
The right side is nearly always wrong and blatantly lying, while the left side supposedly stumbles into falsehood every once in a while.
—Tim Graham, Boston Herald, 25 Oct. 2025
The trio stumbles upon a crucial piece of evidence - and promptly compromises it.
—Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
To summarize, the protagonist, lost in hopeless days, eventually stumbles upon a deserted dance hall.
—Billboard Japan, Billboard, 17 Oct. 2025
Those stumbles aside, the future is looking pretty promising for Crumbl.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2025
Things do get more interesting when Mia stumbles upon an improbable house in the middle of the woods, occupied by a witchy old lady (Robin Bartlett).
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 13 Oct. 2025
The film follows a finance guy named Alex (Arnett), who after splitting from his wife Tess (Laura Dern), stumbles into an unlikely hobby as a standup comic.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 10 Oct. 2025
Noun
The human element, the essence of trust and compassion, is exactly where AI stumbles.
—Dr. Nicholas Cozzi, Time, 10 Nov. 2025
For so much of his career, though, he was defined by his stumbles in October.
—Andy McCullough, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
Because disruption doesn’t wait, when a brand giant stumbles, challengers such as fast-growing On and Hoka are the ones capturing the revenue that is left behind.
—Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2025
However, there were stumbles along the way.
—Sarah Jones, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
The album is not without some small stumbles.
—Juan J. Arroyo, Rolling Stone, 26 Sep. 2025
If the connection is spotty or the model is hosted hundreds of miles away, even the most advanced AI stumbles.
—Ivo Ivanov, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
That’s where this eight-episode show stumbles.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 18 Sep. 2025
The lawsuit marks the latest in a series of stumbles at Verily, which, despite raising more than $1 billion from investors, has struggled to latch onto a winning product.
—Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumbles
Verb
-
So Nude pair falls neatly in line — proof that even in full-metal glamour, minimalism with an edge is having a very good year.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Sabrina Carpenter’s chart-topping Man’s Best Friend slips 5-6 on the latest Billboard 200 with 38,000 equivalent album units earned (down 8%), while Olivia Dean’s The Art of Loving falls 6-7 (37,000, down 3%).—
Keith Caulfield,
Billboard,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Getting perfectly pinpoint stars can be a struggle from the lack of low-light autofocus and struggles with faint objects in the optical viewfinder.—
Harry Bennett,
Space.com,
10 Nov. 2025
-
That quest comes to a screeching halt due to the 2008 recession, as Jackie scrambles to adjust to a new lifestyle while husband David struggles to keep his timeshare empire from crumbling.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
That’s a solid dramatic question, but one that might’ve been more productive as an inciting incident, as too much of this low-budget drama shuffles around subjects that demand incisive action in 2025, effectively creating a subtle irony that undermines the film’s own point.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Gakpo is deeper, and Wirtz pushes forward as the central member of Liverpool’s forward line, while Ekitike shuffles across as the left of the trio.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The premise has the potential for slapstick silliness, as an incompetent Seoul family fumbles its way through opening a hunting lodge in the Korean countryside.—
Katie Rife,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Oct. 2025
-
As Lester fumbles for his bird whistle in the fountain to activate the camera, he gets thrown back in this tussle with Tillman and is killed.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Will Baltimore manage to thwart a Vikings rushing attack that gashed the Lions for 142 yards, cause McCarthy to assume a heavier load than Minnesota’s coaches would like and force the first-year starter into youthful mistakes?—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Hoover finished 319 yards on 34-of-50 passing, but his two turnovers were critical mistakes that led to TCU’s slow start in the first half.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Greater feedback from the nerve stimulation could also prevent missteps and accidental tumbles.—
Abhimanyu Ghoshal,
New Atlas,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Within those questions is the greatness revealed when the image moves again, when charging Eagles safety Reed Blankenship lifts a hand to tip Mayfield’s fourth-quarter throw, when the flailing football tumbles into linebacker Jihaad Campbell’s arms near the pylon.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Avoid long or sharp swords, sticks or canes to prevent injury if a child trips and falls.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Nicholas trips over a bramble, falls to his hands and knees in the soaking grass.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
As the decade trudges on, Brian becomes more serious about his work, never losing his soft spot for Margaret but otherwise gaining a sterling reputation as a hard-hitting interview.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Sep. 2025
-
During interviews for an in-depth Fortune story on KDP published in June, Cofer detailed his strategy for expanding margins and achieving high growth in soft drinks, a field that overall just trudges forward.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
26 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stumbles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumbles. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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