as in finds
to come upon unexpectedly or by chance
stumbled on some old family photos when she was cleaning out a drawer
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumbles (on or onto)
Verb
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The patient thriller finds Agnes lonely in her seedy motel, with a phone that often rings, though the person on the other end of the line never speaks.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Jan. 2026 -
Don’t miss out on fuzzy socks, best-selling makeup, clever home organizing essentials, and more under-the-radar finds starting at $4.—
Isabel Garcia,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Years later, Jake encounters an older Sadie at an event where she's being honored as Texas Woman of the Year.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
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Matt Damon stars as Odysseus, who hopes to return home to his wife (Anne Hathaway) after the Trojan War, but (famously), encounters a few obstacles.—
Emily Temple,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Stumbles (on or onto).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumbles%20%28on%20or%20onto%29. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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