Synonyms of stumbling

stumbling 1 of 2

adjective

as in muttering

Related Words

• muttering
• faltering
• sputtering
• mumbling
• stuttering
• hesitant
• stammering
• halting
• maundering
• inarticulate
• unvocal
• voiceless
• ineloquent
• mute
• speechless
• tongueless
• tongue-tied

Dissimilar Words

• articulate
• eloquent
• fluent
• glib
• verbal
• facile
• voluble
• well-spoken
• vocal
• silver-tongued
• expressive
• outspoken
• smooth-tongued

stumbling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of stumble

1

as in falling

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

• falling
• tripping
• slipping
• tumbling
• toppling
• collapsing
• sliding
• crashing
• skidding
• plopping
• plunging
• dropping
• crumpling
• plunking
• plummeting
• precipitating
• slumping (over)
• wiping out
• keeling
• flumping
• free-falling
• nose-diving

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rising
• standing (up)
• uprising
• getting up

2

as in struggling

to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually

stumbled twice while she was reciting the "Gettysburg Address"

Synonyms & Similar Words

• struggling
• blundering
• shuffling
• floundering
• trudging
• limping
• lurching
• fumbling
• bumbling
• plodding
• lumbering
• jogging
• shambling
• swaying
• faltering
• flogging
• reeling
• staggering
• tottering
• wallowing
• muddling
• teetering
• weltering

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• flying
• gliding
• coasting
• sailing
• zooming
• zipping
• kilting

3

as in shuffling

to move heavily or clumsily

the tipsy revelers left the path and wearily stumbled through the tangled undergrowth

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shuffling
• stomping
• lurching
• barging
• floundering
• shambling
• trudging
• pounding
• sloughing
• hauling
• dragging
• scuffling
• weaving
• stamping
• clumping
• staggering
• scuffing
• tramping
• plodding
• stumping
• lumping
• galumphing
• lumbering
• slogging
• swaying
• flopping
• flogging
• blundering
• tottering
• waddling
• tromping
• reeling
• wobbling
• careening
• teetering
• doddering

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• sliding
• gliding
• coasting
• floating
• waltzing
• drifting
• hanging
• whisking
• hovering
• breezing
• wafting
• poising

4

as in fumbling

to make a mistake

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fumbling
• tripping
• blundering
• nodding
• erring
• flubbing
• mistaking
• fluffing
• misunderstanding
• slipping up
• boobing
• dropping the ball
• laying an egg
• goofing (up)
• screwing up
• messing (up)
• fouling up
• lousing up
• bungling
• mangling
• botching
• misjudging
• murdering
• bobbling
• muffing
• butchering
• miscalculating
• misconceiving
• miscounting
• misinterpreting
• mishandling
• misconstruing
• miscuing
• foozling
• misdeeming
• misgauging

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of stumbling

Verb

Nothing that would actually stop a person, a child, a wheelchair or a stumbling drunk from going straight into the water. — Joseph V. Sakran, Baltimore Sun, 15 Aug. 2026

Such a contrast to the wonderful Bootham Crescent, York’s home until 2020 and within stumbling distance of not only the famous Minster but all the city’s many other attractions. — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026

Finding large accumulations of geologic hydrogen entails stumbling on a Goldilocks set of conditions. — IEEE Spectrum, 11 Aug. 2026

The most underachieving team on the Los Angeles sports landscape is embarrassingly stumbling through another season. — Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026

This can help prevent the patient from stumbling across information that’s difficult to understand, potentially upsetting, or just plain irrelevant to their own situation. — Nicole Pajer, PEOPLE, 28 July 2026

Last year, a bison tragically boiled to death after stumbling into one of Yellowstone's hot springs. — Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026

If your dog is stumbling, lethargic, vomiting, collapses or is unresponsive, contact a vet immediately while working to cool down your dog. — Cody Godwin, USA Today, 16 July 2026

The huge animals knocked bodies to the cobblestones, and stumbling runners caused several pileups during the two-and-a-half-minute run from the pen to the bull ring where bullfighters will kill the bulls later in the day. — ABC News, 11 July 2026

Phrases Containing stumbling

• stumbling block