Synonyms of stumbles

stumbles 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of stumble

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

• falls
• trips
• slips
• tumbles
• topples
• collapses
• plops
• crashes
• plunges
• slides
• drops
• skids
• crumples
• plunks
• plummets
• precipitates
• slumps (over)
• keels
• wipes out
• free-falls
• nose-dives
• flumps

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rises
• stands (up)
• gets up
• uprises

2

as in struggles

to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually

stumbled twice while she was reciting the "Gettysburg Address"

Synonyms & Similar Words

• struggles
• trudges
• shuffles
• flounders
• limps
• blunders
• lurches
• fumbles
• jogs
• plods
• lumbers
• bumbles
• falters
• staggers
• sways
• flogs
• wallows
• totters
• reels
• shambles
• muddles
• teeters
• welters

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• glides
• flies
• sails
• zooms
• zips
• coasts
• kilts

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

• shuffles
• stomps
• lurches
• trudges
• barges
• flounders
• drags
• sloughs
• staggers
• shambles
• clumps
• hauls
• weaves
• lumbers
• scuffs
• plods
• lumps
• pounds
• stamps
• stumps
• slogs
• tramps
• scuffles
• flops
• galumphs
• flogs
• sways
• tromps
• waddles
• totters
• blunders
• wobbles
• careens
• reels
• teeters
• dodders

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• glides
• slides
• waltzes
• whisks
• hangs
• floats
• drifts
• hovers
• wafts
• breezes
• coasts
• poises

4

as in fumbles

to make a mistake

that network announcer rarely stumbles when he's on the air

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fumbles
• trips
• blunders
• errs
• nods
• flubs
• fluffs
• mistakes
• slips up
• misunderstands
• lays an egg
• drops the ball
• goofs (up)
• screws up
• fouls up
• boobs
• botches
• bungles
• louses up
• messes (up)
• misjudges
• miscalculates
• mangles
• murders
• mishandles
• misinterprets
• bobbles
• misconstrues
• misconceives
• muffs
• miscounts
• miscues
• butchers
• foozles
• misdeems
• misgauges

stumbles

2 of 2

noun

plural of stumble

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

• mistakes
• blunders
• errors
• fumbles
• trips
• flubs
• missteps
• miscues
• slips
• inaccuracies
• goofs
• faults
• bobbles
• gaffes
• bricks
• fluffs
• lapses
• gaffs
• screwups
• slipups
• clangers
• oversights
• clinkers
• boobs
• pratfalls
• boo-boos
• bloopers
• snafus
• misunderstandings
• howlers
• miscalculations
• misstatements
• bloomers
• boners
• misjudgments
• misreadings
• misconceptions
• misinterpretations
• foul-ups
• misconstructions
• misdescriptions
• misimpressions
• misapprehensions
• miscomprehensions

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• accuracies
• precisions
• exactitudes
• perfections
• infallibilities
• inerrancies

2

as in tumbles

the act of going down from an upright position suddenly and involuntarily

has bones so brittle that a minor stumble could result in a serious break

Synonyms & Similar Words

• falls
• tumbles
• spills
• slips
• trips
• slides
• dives
• plunges
• skids
• missteps
• pratfalls
• headers
• free-falls
• descents

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of stumbles

Verb

But here, too, Wladyka stumbles, opting for a comforting but pat ending about how dance and art enliven so many lives. — Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026

Early in the book, there’s a disturbing scene in which Cathy’s mother stumbles upon a half naked 10-year-old Cathy lying on the floor beneath two teenage boys. — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 25 Sep. 2026

Reacher stumbles out into the street and collapses, sheets of rain washing the blood from his mighty frame. — Chris Klimek, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2026

Liberty stumbles down after escaping 24-23 against a winless FCS Gardner-Webb team that has an interim head coach. — Chris Vannini, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Based on the novel by Daniel Pinkwater, Lizard Music follows a boy (Leber) left to his own devices who stumbles upon a secret late-night broadcast of lizards playing otherworldly music — a hidden door to the extraordinary then swinging open. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 14 Sep. 2026

Byron Nelson stumbles again Normally an area power, Trophy Club Byron Nelson is off to a rocky start. — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2026

Camp’s turn here as a kooky neighbor who stumbles into an unexpected romance is exactly the kind of role that gets a room talking (and laughing). — Clayton Davis, Variety, 4 Sep. 2026

But as the gyrations historically go, California’s economy somehow steadied in mid-2026, even as the rest of the country stumbles. — Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 4 Sep. 2026

Noun

According to the rules of the game, Joker can only give his team members hints while the rest of the class watches and laughs at their stumbles. — Will Collins, The Washington Examiner, 26 Sep. 2026

Alvarado stumbles, Kennedale climbs Alvarado has been a dominant Class 4A power in recent years. — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2026

Compounding those stumbles have been frequent defensive breakdowns. — ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026

Honeywell Aerospace shares tumbled 11% on Wednesday evening after the company reported weak quarterly results and cut its full-year outlook due to supply chain stumbles. — Jeff Marks, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2026

As the company pours IPO cash into aggressive global expansion, analysts warn that shareholder pressure and past quality stumbles could test its eco-conscious image — and Wall Street patience. — Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026

But Marvel has had its stumbles of late, and Sony’s Spider-Man-adjacent villain movies (like Madame Web, Morbius and Kraven the Hunter) have largely flopped, so neither is otherwise flawless at franchise management. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2026

Despite those stumbles, domestic ticket sales are roughly 10% above 2025, according to Rentrak, and the summer season is expected to surpass $4 billion for the second time since the pandemic upended the industry. — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 19 July 2026

Biden’s halting gait, frail appearance and frequent verbal stumbles eventually doomed his 2024 reelection campaign. — Jill Colvin, Fortune, 14 July 2026