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"
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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?
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of stumbles
Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 6 Jan. 2026
There’s a fine line between righteousness and self-satisfaction, and the second season, which premieres on HBO Max on January 8, frequently stumbles into the latter territory.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2026
Adapted from the 2024 novel of the same name by Rufi Thorpe, the show follows a young single-mom-to-be who needs cash and stumbles upon creative ways to get it—including crafting an OnlyFans persona that might grow out of her control.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 29 Dec. 2025
Moments later, the Palestinian man stumbles up and is seen walking back to the quad bike that rammed him.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 25 Dec. 2025
The story follows a woman who accepts a job as a housemaid to a wealthy couple, and stumbles across the family's dark secrets along the way.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 25 Dec. 2025
While on a date, Tess inadvertently stumbles into one of Alex’s sets — which spikily interrogates why their romance fell apart.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 23 Dec. 2025
One girl stumbles, breaking the chain, and skates hard to reconnect.
—Blair Braverman, Outside, 22 Dec. 2025
In this four-episode dark comedy, news anchor Douglas Bellowes (Hugh Bonneville) stumbles into a career-threatening scandal after he's accused of making a sexist joke.
—Tiffany Kelly, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Dec. 2025
Samantha Subin,lora Kolodny, CNBC, 2 Jan. 2026
Operational stumbles, such as removing fries only months after they were introduced, have contributed to the market losing faith in Sweetgreen’s current management team.
—Redd Brown, Fortune, 17 Dec. 2025
Walmart is winning and Target is looking to get its stride back after some costly stumbles.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 25 Nov. 2025
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
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
Verb
Ennin gets up and stumbles down the block before collapsing next to a building.
—Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 6 Jan. 2026
There’s a fine line between righteousness and self-satisfaction, and the second season, which premieres on HBO Max on January 8, frequently stumbles into the latter territory.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2026
Adapted from the 2024 novel of the same name by Rufi Thorpe, the show follows a young single-mom-to-be who needs cash and stumbles upon creative ways to get it—including crafting an OnlyFans persona that might grow out of her control.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 29 Dec. 2025
Moments later, the Palestinian man stumbles up and is seen walking back to the quad bike that rammed him.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 25 Dec. 2025
The story follows a woman who accepts a job as a housemaid to a wealthy couple, and stumbles across the family's dark secrets along the way.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 25 Dec. 2025
While on a date, Tess inadvertently stumbles into one of Alex’s sets — which spikily interrogates why their romance fell apart.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 23 Dec. 2025
One girl stumbles, breaking the chain, and skates hard to reconnect.
—Blair Braverman, Outside, 22 Dec. 2025
In this four-episode dark comedy, news anchor Douglas Bellowes (Hugh Bonneville) stumbles into a career-threatening scandal after he's accused of making a sexist joke.
—Tiffany Kelly, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Dec. 2025
Noun
Despite the stumbles, xAI has continued to land partnerships and deals.
—Samantha Subin,lora Kolodny, CNBC, 2 Jan. 2026
Operational stumbles, such as removing fries only months after they were introduced, have contributed to the market losing faith in Sweetgreen’s current management team.
—Redd Brown, Fortune, 17 Dec. 2025
Walmart is winning and Target is looking to get its stride back after some costly stumbles.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 25 Nov. 2025
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
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
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
-
Haunted by her own traumas and hidden scars, Kitts struggles to piece together the clues and separate Raevyn’s madness from an even more troubling reality.—
News Release,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Jan. 2026
-
The chain’s anniversary comes as the restaurant industry struggles with declining traffic.—
Amelia Lucas,
CNBC,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
In front of me, as various motors rev up to speed, the robot shuffles in place, looking like an arthritic boxer readying for a fight.—
James Vincent,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 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
-
In Slow Horses — an adaptation of author Mick Herron's award-winning Slough House series — Oldman, 67, portrays Jackson Lamb, the leader of a dysfunctional team of MI5 agents whose career-ending mistakes landed them an unwanted spot at Slough House.—
Liza Esquibias,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
-
This game was a defensive battle on both sides, as Hurts and Purdy had their fair share of mistakes, though the latter’s showed up in the box score.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The river tumbles and seethes through 278 miles of Grand Canyon National Park, taking its geologic time in carving a trench now deeper than a mile.—
Brandon Loomis,
AZCentral.com,
15 Dec. 2025
-
But if an asset tumbles and the investor can't meet the margin requirements, the trading platform may automatically liquidate the position, which leads to more selling and downward pressure on its price.—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
21 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Boat trips with the hotel’s fleet of luxury liners or a heli ride take you island-hopping to Hydra and Spetses.—
Jemima Sissons,
Condé Nast Traveler,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Shoelaces are scanned to ensure that no player trips and breaks bones.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
4 Dec. 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 13 Jan. 2026.
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