as in muttering
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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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in struggling
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 shuffling
to move heavily or clumsily
the tipsy revelers left the path and wearily stumbled through the tangled undergrowth
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in fumbling
to make a mistake
that network announcer rarely stumbles when he's on the air
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stumbling
Danielle Parker, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
Apple has gotten off to a rough start in AI after stumbling in its efforts to deliver new features built on the technology, as promised nearly two years ago.
—Michael Liedtke, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
He was taken into custody at the scene, after stumbling through several sobriety tests, police said.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2026
Unlike the blue plaques affixed to residences in London, which indicate where notable figures once lived, or the Stolpersteine (or stumbling stones) embedded in the sidewalks of German cities to mark the former homes of Holocaust victims, Bucharest’s red disks are not commemorative but predictive.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Beavers was pinch-running for Ryan Mountcastle, who doubled to open the inning and was injured while stumbling into second base.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2026
When a character speaks English, an accent is employed and the manner is often a bit stumbling.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026
Garrett Mitchell lined a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the stumbling Boston Red Sox 8-6 on Monday night, sending them to their eighth loss in nine games.
—ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
On March 22, Emily Holman posted a TikTok video about her and her 18-year-old sister, Martha, stumbling upon a jean jacket that was hand-painted and gifted to a friend for Christmas.
—Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
Lina cried out, stumbling backward.
—Danielle Parker, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
Apple has gotten off to a rough start in AI after stumbling in its efforts to deliver new features built on the technology, as promised nearly two years ago.
—Michael Liedtke, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
He was taken into custody at the scene, after stumbling through several sobriety tests, police said.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2026
Unlike the blue plaques affixed to residences in London, which indicate where notable figures once lived, or the Stolpersteine (or stumbling stones) embedded in the sidewalks of German cities to mark the former homes of Holocaust victims, Bucharest’s red disks are not commemorative but predictive.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Beavers was pinch-running for Ryan Mountcastle, who doubled to open the inning and was injured while stumbling into second base.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2026
When a character speaks English, an accent is employed and the manner is often a bit stumbling.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026
Garrett Mitchell lined a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the stumbling Boston Red Sox 8-6 on Monday night, sending them to their eighth loss in nine games.
—ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
On March 22, Emily Holman posted a TikTok video about her and her 18-year-old sister, Martha, stumbling upon a jean jacket that was hand-painted and gifted to a friend for Christmas.
—Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumbling
Verb
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The school calendar’s architects also had the benefit of a number of school holidays falling over weekends, including Rosh Hashanah, Diwali and Juneteenth.—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2026
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Officials said seven of the victims were struck by gunfire, while others were hurt in the chaos as people scrambled to get down from the pyramids, with some falling during the panic.—
Bradford Betz,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As the city morphs into a luxury tourist destination, struggling small businesses are pushing to retain the character that drew many tourists in the first place.—
Laura Millan,
Bloomberg,
27 Apr. 2026
-
If your friend is lonely or struggling to establish her identity without her sister living in the house, time with friends and time intentionally getting to know herself will be more productive.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Of course, no rotation shuffling is imminent with Rodón expected to make at least three rehab starts and Cole moving at a slower pace following Tommy John surgery.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2026
-
The famed Rendezvous Ballroom dance floor was so packed, couples would have to do their moves in a close embrace, posture upright while doing short half steps, swiftly shuffling their feet as the partners stepped out and in, over and over, in a rhythmic swing.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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There was an emotional honesty that embraced the idea that growth isn’t always linear (see Andie from The Devil Wears Prada, fumbling a relationship with a good guy because her career came first).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Be ill-prepared for Christmas and face the danger of fumbling your most profitable time of the year.—
Kamal Ahmed,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Milan supporters must hope that happens before the end of their faltering campaign.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The faltering fiction offered here certainly doesn’t justify 10 episodes, the runtimes of which range from about 35 minutes to nearly an hour.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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After Dobes was penalized for tripping Yanni Gourde, Point took Jake Guentzel’s centering pass and ripped a shot past Dobes’ blocker from the high slot.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
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Cellphone video shot by a bystander then showed the man tripping and falling on his face as officers aggressively detained him moments later.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Verizon never would have gotten the chance to buy Yahoo’s online operations if not for the company’s perpetual blundering under seven different CEOs in 16 years.—
Michael Liedtke,
Fortune,
29 Mar. 2026
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Verizon never would have gotten the chance to buy Yahoo’s online operations if not for the company’s perpetual blundering under seven different CEOs in 16 years.—
Michael Liedtke,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That’s the sound of clogs slowly stomping back into the spotlight.—
Andrea Zendejas,
Vogue,
5 Apr. 2026
-
For pretty much every gamer alive today, those first few notes induce an almost Pavlovian response — sparking an urge to grab a controller on your lap that isn’t actually there and bringing to mind comfortable, warm memories of stomping Goombas and riding Yoshi on a quest to save Princess Peach.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stumbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumbling. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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