STUMBLING (UPON) Synonyms: 34 Similar and Opposite Words

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumbling (upon)

Verb

The incident began shortly before noon, when California Highway Patrol officers reported encountering a person armed with a knife during a traffic violation, according to the sheriff's office.

— Richard Ramos, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Yiyun Li on encountering the past in writing Music Against the Night.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of encountering

Verb

Jones said the potential consequences for policyholders could be severe if an insurer’s financial position deteriorated enough to stop it from meeting its obligations.

— Joshua Hong, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
Consumers who desired perfect products used more filters and set higher cutoffs, narrowing their search to hotels that came closer to meeting their standards.

— Aprajita Gautam, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 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

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

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

Copy Citation

Synonyms of stumbling (upon)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes