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
Richard Lawson, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
Wallen then stumbles to his feet in the middle of the road, as rain pours down, with close-up images showing Wallen in tattered clothes and covered in scrapes and cuts.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 1 Oct. 2025
Ideally, an opera is born when a composer stumbles on an emotion that the original medium has left only partially expressed, one that will blossom into a musical idea.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2025
Brian stumbles back to his father’s tent, where an angry Simon takes his frustration over Uncle Mac’s mocking out on his son.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 26 Sep. 2025
However, Carr stumbles into the elaborate trap, landing him in the hospital.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 25 Sep. 2025
After a rocky start, Joey stumbles on some talents and goes to great lengths to impress Leonard in his audition for a play.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Sep. 2025
Yet, when a star athlete—the rival who excels at everything—finally stumbles in a sport, a subtle surge of neurological pleasure briefly ignites.
—Richard Menger Md Mpa, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Daniel, meanwhile, stumbles upon Laura's phone, which fell under a side table during her fight with Cherry, and listens to the recording of Cherry's mom, Tracey (Karen Henthorn), warning that her daughter is darker and more vengeful than Daniel ever knew.
—Julia Moore, People.com, 11 Sep. 2025
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
That’s where this eight-episode show stumbles.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 18 Sep. 2025
The lawsuit marks the latest in a series of stumbles at Verily, which, despite raising more than $1 billion from investors, has struggled to latch onto a winning product.
—Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2025
That’s when his age showed in physical and verbal stumbles.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2025
That's when his age showed in physical and verbal stumbles.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
In the second installment of the franchise, Odenkirk returns as Hutch Mansell, the mild-mannered suburban husband and dad with a dark past stumbles into trouble while taking his family on vacation.
—William Lee, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2025
Verb
But there have been some career stumbles recently, a superhero disappointment in particular, that must have complicated Johnson’s conception of his remarkable career.
—Richard Lawson, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
Wallen then stumbles to his feet in the middle of the road, as rain pours down, with close-up images showing Wallen in tattered clothes and covered in scrapes and cuts.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 1 Oct. 2025
Ideally, an opera is born when a composer stumbles on an emotion that the original medium has left only partially expressed, one that will blossom into a musical idea.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2025
Brian stumbles back to his father’s tent, where an angry Simon takes his frustration over Uncle Mac’s mocking out on his son.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 26 Sep. 2025
However, Carr stumbles into the elaborate trap, landing him in the hospital.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 25 Sep. 2025
After a rocky start, Joey stumbles on some talents and goes to great lengths to impress Leonard in his audition for a play.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Sep. 2025
Yet, when a star athlete—the rival who excels at everything—finally stumbles in a sport, a subtle surge of neurological pleasure briefly ignites.
—Richard Menger Md Mpa, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Daniel, meanwhile, stumbles upon Laura's phone, which fell under a side table during her fight with Cherry, and listens to the recording of Cherry's mom, Tracey (Karen Henthorn), warning that her daughter is darker and more vengeful than Daniel ever knew.
—Julia Moore, People.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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
That’s where this eight-episode show stumbles.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 18 Sep. 2025
The lawsuit marks the latest in a series of stumbles at Verily, which, despite raising more than $1 billion from investors, has struggled to latch onto a winning product.
—Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2025
That’s when his age showed in physical and verbal stumbles.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2025
That's when his age showed in physical and verbal stumbles.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
In the second installment of the franchise, Odenkirk returns as Hutch Mansell, the mild-mannered suburban husband and dad with a dark past stumbles into trouble while taking his family on vacation.
—William Lee, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumbles
Verb
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Dalio also warned that the most misleading signals come near the top, where easy credit boosts spending, asset prices climb, unemployment falls.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
4 Oct. 2025
-
And if the burden falls on local authorities, the global non-government organization (NGO) predicted annual costs could reach 200 million pounds (about $269 million) by 2035.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Bo was a source of comfort to many children in Nashville, especially as Tennessee struggles with growing mental health issues, according to Mental Health America, a nonprofit group that promotes mental health and mental illness prevention.—
Craig Shoup,
Nashville Tennessean,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Defense struggles with big deficit The Panthers’ defense sat on the sideline for most of the first quarter, as a punt return touchdown by the Patriots was sandwiched between offensive series for the Panthers.—
Mike Kaye
September 28,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Gakpo is deeper, and Wirtz pushes forward as the central member of Liverpool’s forward line, while Ekitike shuffles across as the left of the trio.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Because global air travel shuffles millions of people around the world daily, an outbreak of a very contagious disease anywhere can become a threat everywhere.—
Amy E. Stambach,
The Conversation,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Iain also makes a good-looking tart with raspberries and white chocolate (gag) on the top but then somehow fumbles it while trying to put it on his display stand.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
3 Oct. 2025
-
While both teams were in position to flip some results, the Ravens have to feel a little snakebitten with how their games have played out, including a couple of fourth-quarter Derrick Henry fumbles.—
Scott Chasen,
Kansas City Star,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
However, from time to time mistakes will be made and we will not be held liable.—
Jacob Camenker,
USA Today,
5 Oct. 2025
-
From a potentially serious injury sustained by linebacker Dwight Nunoo to a multitude of mistakes, Saturday’s 51-10 loss to the host Connecticut Huskies (4-2) was devastating to FIU (2-3).—
Walter Villa,
Miami Herald,
5 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Within those questions is the greatness revealed when the image moves again, when charging Eagles safety Reed Blankenship lifts a hand to tip Mayfield’s fourth-quarter throw, when the flailing football tumbles into linebacker Jihaad Campbell’s arms near the pylon.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
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According to Burlison, the video shows a high-speed object—presumably the missile—hitting the orb, which then deforms, tumbles, and sheds smaller fragments, one barely visible.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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According to a recent holiday travel report from Google Flights, the average price of airline tickets tends to be at its lowest for domestic Thanksgiving trips 39 days before departure.—
Michelle Baran,
AFAR Media,
29 Sep. 2025
-
There are ghosts and spirits, horror episodes, trips back into the ‘70s, the odd touch of a Western.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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
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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 6 Oct. 2025.
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