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
Relevance
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
Brent Lang, Variety, 19 Apr. 2026
Based on a true story, Erin Brockovich follows the titular law firm worker who stumbles upon records involving the Pacific Gas & Electric Company's culpability in a contamination incident.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Apr. 2026
Bankman-Fried stumbles through an answer about payments.
—Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2026
The man watches the train tracks, and as the train comes into view in the video, the man then pushes the victim, who stumbles forward.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
The Lakers are unlikely to catch either of those two teams, unless one stumbles and the Lakers keep winning.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
The novel, for which PEOPLE can exclusively reveal the cover, follows Audrey Beacon, a grieving writer who stumbles upon a bookstore for sale during the COVID-19 pandemic.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 1 Apr. 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
Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 21 Apr. 2026
The stumbles seen on race day were largely engineering hiccups—hardware tuning, stability margins—not fundamental limits of AI.
—Ni Tao, Interesting Engineering, 20 Apr. 2026
The bullpen even found some redemption after two late stumbles in New York.
—Doug Padilla, Oc Register, 18 Apr. 2026
Everyone hears for weeks about how improved the team is in spring training, and any stumbles out of the gate usually lead to serial harrumphing.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
The stumbles provided ammunition to a bipartisan congressional rebellion that eventually led to overwhelming passage of a bill requiring release of all the files, although the DOJ has been slow to comply.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 2 Apr. 2026
In North Carolina, the insurance plan's stumbles have added another layer of complication around health care issues.
—Andrew Jones, CBS News, 1 Apr. 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
Verb
The action film stars Bob Odenkirk as a small town sheriff who stumbles on a larger conspiracy following a local bank robbery.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 19 Apr. 2026
Based on a true story, Erin Brockovich follows the titular law firm worker who stumbles upon records involving the Pacific Gas & Electric Company's culpability in a contamination incident.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Apr. 2026
Bankman-Fried stumbles through an answer about payments.
—Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2026
The man watches the train tracks, and as the train comes into view in the video, the man then pushes the victim, who stumbles forward.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
The Lakers are unlikely to catch either of those two teams, unless one stumbles and the Lakers keep winning.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
The novel, for which PEOPLE can exclusively reveal the cover, follows Audrey Beacon, a grieving writer who stumbles upon a bookstore for sale during the COVID-19 pandemic.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 1 Apr. 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
Noun
After some stumbles with AI in 2024, Apple has been largely sitting on the sidelines of the AI race.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 21 Apr. 2026
The stumbles seen on race day were largely engineering hiccups—hardware tuning, stability margins—not fundamental limits of AI.
—Ni Tao, Interesting Engineering, 20 Apr. 2026
The bullpen even found some redemption after two late stumbles in New York.
—Doug Padilla, Oc Register, 18 Apr. 2026
Everyone hears for weeks about how improved the team is in spring training, and any stumbles out of the gate usually lead to serial harrumphing.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
The stumbles provided ammunition to a bipartisan congressional rebellion that eventually led to overwhelming passage of a bill requiring release of all the files, although the DOJ has been slow to comply.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 2 Apr. 2026
In North Carolina, the insurance plan's stumbles have added another layer of complication around health care issues.
—Andrew Jones, CBS News, 1 Apr. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumbles
Verb
-
Lawrence, though, is widely regarded as a top-five player at his position, whereas Greenard falls around 15th among edge rushers in most meaningful metrics.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The 44% theory Steve Dittmore admits that his research interest, the relationship of athletics and enrollment at small colleges, falls pretty far outside of the mainstream, even in the already-niche world of sports and higher ed.—
Mark Dent,
thehustle.co,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The risk is Sadiq doesn’t see a full workload as a rookie, struggles for targets while competing with Mitchell and others, and Geno Smith doesn’t bounce back.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Republicans have a tiny four-vote majority in the chamber, and the president’s party historically struggles in midterm balloting.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 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
-
In an email obtained by the Mercury News, Kinnear-Rausch offered clues as to the mistakes that led to Jaxon’s April 9 death.—
Julia Prodis Sulek,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
But just those little mistakes cost us the second goal.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
After a number of tumbles through the incoming crashing waves, Phan grabbed ahold of the shark's tail and fearlessly guided it back into the ocean, prompting cheers from onlookers.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
3 Apr. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
And, there's such a thing as guys trips only.—
Natalia Senanayake,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Plus, the amount of walking that Japan trips require is no joke.—
Elaina Verhoff,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Apr. 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 27 Apr. 2026.
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