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
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Recent Examples of stumbles
K.j. Yossman, Variety, 27 Mar. 2026
If the student stumbles, the AI agent gives them clues, along with criticism and positive feedback.
—Jocelyn Gecker, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2026
An explosion of green paint can be seen as Islas stumbles and screams in pain.
—James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Written and illustrated by Lisa Horstman On a camping trip with her parents in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, an inquisitive girl slips out of her tent to explore after dark and stumbles upon the lively scene of a salamander ball.
—Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2026
West stumbles into the kitchen looking for some buffalo-chicken dip, wearing only a pair of shorts and a smile.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 11 Mar. 2026
In 1972, Hannes (Enzo Brumm), a gangly farm boy adrift in a hedonistic haze of hormones and counterculture, stumbles upon a revelation through his contact with a love interest’s geranium.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 4 Mar. 2026
The woman continues to scream as Jones stumbles in the street and Charles asks him multiple more times to drop the knife.
—Kellie Love, Hartford Courant, 3 Mar. 2026
The romantic dramedy, based on the novel of the same name by Robinne Lee, stars Anne Hathaway as Solène, a divorced mother who stumbles into a meet-cute with Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine), the lead singer of a boy band.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Feb. 2026
Aaron Beard, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
John made a few stumbles after meeting Carolyn that nearly turned her off completely before their relationship had even begun.
—Emma Banks, InStyle, 11 Mar. 2026
Some of the team's biggest stars saw dramatic stumbles.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 23 Feb. 2026
Stoddard credited her team with helping her after the early stumbles.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 21 Feb. 2026
Around that time, public demonstrations of the humanoids often drew skepticism, such as a robot marathon in April that made headlines for stumbles, crashes and breakdowns.
—Dylan Butts,matthew Chin, CNBC, 20 Feb. 2026
The stumbles become part of the narrative rather than disqualifying moments.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2026
But when silver stumbles, those same stocks can fall even faster.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2026
The voters of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Florida, however (with an assist from James Comey and Clinton’s own stumbles), put an end to those plans.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2026
Verb
Bleeding heavily, Waaler stumbles into a corridor and slowly takes his last breath as Hole, who jumped out at the floor above and ran back downstairs, watches, gun in hand.
—K.j. Yossman, Variety, 27 Mar. 2026
If the student stumbles, the AI agent gives them clues, along with criticism and positive feedback.
—Jocelyn Gecker, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2026
An explosion of green paint can be seen as Islas stumbles and screams in pain.
—James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Written and illustrated by Lisa Horstman On a camping trip with her parents in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, an inquisitive girl slips out of her tent to explore after dark and stumbles upon the lively scene of a salamander ball.
—Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2026
West stumbles into the kitchen looking for some buffalo-chicken dip, wearing only a pair of shorts and a smile.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 11 Mar. 2026
In 1972, Hannes (Enzo Brumm), a gangly farm boy adrift in a hedonistic haze of hormones and counterculture, stumbles upon a revelation through his contact with a love interest’s geranium.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 4 Mar. 2026
The woman continues to scream as Jones stumbles in the street and Charles asks him multiple more times to drop the knife.
—Kellie Love, Hartford Courant, 3 Mar. 2026
The romantic dramedy, based on the novel of the same name by Robinne Lee, stars Anne Hathaway as Solène, a divorced mother who stumbles into a meet-cute with Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine), the lead singer of a boy band.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Feb. 2026
Noun
Yet the stumbles under Davis that would’ve qualified as successes elsewhere struck at the core identity of a program with national brand-name relevance and ties to some of the sport’s biggest names like Smith, Williams, James Worthy, Michael Jordan and Vince Carter.
—Aaron Beard, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
John made a few stumbles after meeting Carolyn that nearly turned her off completely before their relationship had even begun.
—Emma Banks, InStyle, 11 Mar. 2026
Some of the team's biggest stars saw dramatic stumbles.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 23 Feb. 2026
Stoddard credited her team with helping her after the early stumbles.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 21 Feb. 2026
Around that time, public demonstrations of the humanoids often drew skepticism, such as a robot marathon in April that made headlines for stumbles, crashes and breakdowns.
—Dylan Butts,matthew Chin, CNBC, 20 Feb. 2026
The stumbles become part of the narrative rather than disqualifying moments.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2026
But when silver stumbles, those same stocks can fall even faster.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2026
The voters of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Florida, however (with an assist from James Comey and Clinton’s own stumbles), put an end to those plans.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumbles
Verb
-
Support falls somewhat, to 70%, among non-MAGA Republicans.—
Anne Bryson,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Payton’s falls short of Chamberlain Gary Payton II had a chance to equal the feat of one of the game’s greatest players on Friday.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The 8-episode first season charts the improbable ascent of Joe and Rose Kennedy and their nine children, including rebellious second son Jack, who struggles to escape the shadow of his golden boy older brother.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Loose ends and compelling payoffs await after a subdued and slow-ish first frame that struggles with a balance between dark brooding and uneven lull.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Tristan returns home and greets James while Siegfried shuffles the woman out the window.—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
-
That is not unique — Major League Baseball’s offseason shuffles along at a deliberate pace, just as the Dodgers historically have liked.—
Katie Woo,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
If the creditor fumbles the process, then an otherwise valid and collectible debt may be barred.—
Virginia Hammerle,
Dallas Morning News,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Sonny feels like a departure; unlike Bernthal’s mercenaries, Sonny fumbles with his gun, has a bleeding heart, and lays his vulnerabilities bare.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Critical, independent and common-sense thinking was essential to deal with our evolution, to include those time when grave mistakes were made and great leaders had to make tough decisions to course-correct.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Notre Dame’s Lachlan Clark made no mistakes other than giving up the home run.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Beneath the twists and tumbles of its plot, Reddick’s play is concerned with the people and communities that never profit when power seeks to increase itself — children, poor folks, Black folks.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The figures were sliced into five groups, focusing on the commodity’s biggest surges compared to its deepest tumbles.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Nor is the scene in which Cory trips on mushrooms on Hollywood Boulevard (which is probably true of half the people walking there).—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Mar. 2026
-
That's honestly great news for tailors and anyone who regularly trips over their own feet.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
However, even as the team trudges to a play-in spot rather than a top seed, Green was adamant that the Warriors’ standard of competitiveness cannot change.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
26 Mar. 2026
-
His previous book, The Village Idiot (2022), explored the historical reality of the early-twentieth-century School of Paris artists from the dreamlike perspective of the expressionist painter Chaïm Soutine, who trudges beneath the Seine in a diving suit.—
Cathleen Schine,
The New York Review of Books,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stumbles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumbles. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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