STUMBLES Synonyms: 166 Similar and Opposite Words

stumbles 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of stumble

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

as in shuffles

to move heavily or clumsily the tipsy revelers left the path and wearily stumbled through the tangled undergrowth

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as in fumbles

to make a mistake that network announcer rarely stumbles when he's on the air

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stumbles

2 of 2

noun

plural of stumble

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

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

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of stumbles

Verb

But then our son stumbles into the room and burrows between us, his warmth radiating right alongside my light. — Literary Hub, 20 July 2026 Let’s say Paul Simon, a curious man, stumbles upon your song and then reads this interview. — Devon Ivie, Vulture, 20 July 2026 Biden’s stumbles doom his reelection effort Biden’s halting gait, frail appearance and frequent verbal stumbles eventually doomed his 2024 reelection campaign. — Jill Colvin, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026 Yet things truly take a turn one day after Miguel stumbles upon a boy, Felipe (Yago Andreu), chained beneath the old water tank near the witch’s old, run-down house. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 8 July 2026 In the first, a quick history tour revisits how bad Minions have been in their quest to find villains to serve, until one group lands in 1920s Hollywood and stumbles into stardom. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 7 July 2026 DeHaan stars as an awkward teen who films his every move and, along with his friends, stumbles upon a mysterious object that imbues them with remarkable powers. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026 After a chance meeting saving the life of a reporter, Dez stumbles across a vast conspiracy and now must stop the forces intent on keeping their secrets safe. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 6 July 2026 In it, the man stumbles around, blinded by the sun, surrounded by insensible tourists. — Merve Emre, New Yorker, 28 June 2026

Noun

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. — ABC News, 14 July 2026 Biden’s halting gait, frail appearance and frequent verbal stumbles eventually doomed his 2024 reelection campaign. — Jill Colvin, Fortune, 14 July 2026 Biden’s stumbles doom his reelection effort Biden’s halting gait, frail appearance and frequent verbal stumbles eventually doomed his 2024 reelection campaign. — Jill Colvin, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026 The filmmakers cut freely and rapidly among the duo’s poses, their stumbles, their fears, their tightrope walks across precarious beams in the sky. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 1 July 2026 But the recent stumbles for SpaceX’s stock and for AI stocks broadly may be a signal of less appetite for big AI stocks among investors. — Stan Choe, Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2026 The bravado that Canada is showing after those early stumbles against Bosnia is the kind of attitude that teams need in the World Cup. — Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 24 June 2026 But the history of VTOL aircraft is littered with costly stumbles. — Omar Kardoudi june 21, New Atlas, 21 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumbles

Verb

This unique trend sees AI adoption rise while trust falls, fueling widespread demand for accountability and human oversight.

— Gary Drenik, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
As several experts have told CNN, when a drug trafficking leader falls, there are always many others available to succeed him, so the criminal organization – at least for now – remains active.

— Sol Amaya, CNN Money, 20 July 2026

Definition of falls

Verb

Once an avid Pilates goer, Beretti struggles to go up the stairs and can no longer run or jump.

— Ella Moore July 23, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
Funding is also a problem, as the severely degraded local health system in eastern Congo, as well as NGOs, struggles to cope as Ebola spreads in remote rural areas.

— Emmet Livingstone, NPR, 23 July 2026

Definition of struggles

Verb

On a cloudy-white Sunday morning in June, Joey Phelps shuffles into the familiar back pew of Yeakley Chapel, the small Methodist church that has been a part of his life for nearly 50 years.

— Harry Bruinius, Christian Science Monitor, 5 July 2026
As though on cue, Wardrobe — my beloved, and giant, closet — shuffles over from the corner of my room, the mahogany wood groaning with the effort.

— Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 25 June 2026

Definition of shuffles

Verb

Tensions between the galley and the interior continue to escalate over lunch service, when a radio mishap fumbles the order in which the food should go out.

— Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 26 May 2026
The movie fumbles the chance to do something arresting with this seminal period in art.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 12 May 2026

Definition of fumbles

Noun

One of the biggest leadership mistakes is waiting until a crisis to define standards.

— Nadia AlShomali, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
But as writer-director Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster The Odyssey makes a point of emphasizing, the legendary Greek general from Homer’s ancient epic (portrayed in the film by Matt Damon) also made a lot of extremely avoidable mistakes.

— Whitney Friedlander, Vulture, 17 July 2026

Definition of mistakes

Noun

But their erotic encounter is short-lived, as Joe tumbles and blows his back out while sheepishly dancing to Sade.

— Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 11 July 2026
This highly competent, obsessive duo tumbles into a self-destructive cat-and-mouse dynamic — but who’s the cat and who’s the mouse?

— Sara Netzley, Entertainment Weekly, 2 July 2026

Definition of tumbles

Verb

Santa Ana, the country's tallest volcano), horseback rides along the black sand, and trips out along the Ruta de las Flores.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 July 2026
Powerful superconducting magnets could also provide a solution to the problem of cancer-causing cosmic radiation that explorers will encounter during stays on the moon or trips deeper into space.

— Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 6 July 2026

Definition of trips

Verb

Enola dutifully trudges between clues and possibilities, shuffling through crime scenes and racing around shady spaces, all of this much more paint-by-numbers than connect-the-dots.

— Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 30 June 2026
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