stumbling (upon)

verb

present participle of stumble (upon)
as in encountering
to come upon face-to-face or as if face-to-face stumbled upon an old acquaintance at the airport

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumbling (upon)
  1. encountering
  2. meeting
Verb
  • Here, Amer plays a fictional version of himself, a Palestinian refugee who is trying to get legal status while encountering personal and professional roadblocks at every turn.
    — Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
  • Conditions can shift rapidly, even in summer, with climbers encountering ice, rockfall and limited visibility within hours.
    — James Ward, USA Today, 2 July 2026
Definition of encountering
Verb
  • Arison will assume the position following the league’s Board of Governors meeting in September 2026.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026
  • Despite becoming fast friends after meeting at Gates’ parents’ home in 1991 and later working together to create the Giving Pledge, the rupture between Buffett and Gates has been years in the making.
    — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 14 July 2026
Definition of meeting
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.

Browse Nearby Words

stumbling (on or onto)
stumbling (upon)
stump
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Cite this Entry

“Stumbling (upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumbling%20%28upon%29. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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