1
as in to fall
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to struggle
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 to shuffle
to move heavily or clumsily
the tipsy revelers left the path and wearily stumbled through the tangled undergrowth
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to fumble
to make a mistake
that network announcer rarely stumbles when he's on the air
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in mistake
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy
was his hurtful remark a regrettable stumble, or was it made with artful intention?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to find
to come upon unexpectedly or by chance
stumbled on some old family photos when she was cleaning out a drawer
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to encounter
to come upon face-to-face or as if face-to-face
stumbled upon an old acquaintance at the airport
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in fumbling
to make a mistake
that network announcer rarely stumbles when he's on the air
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in muttering
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of stumbling
Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2025
Yet the historical resonance falls flat amid the film’s overlong runtime, unlikable characters and shaky accents that most actors stumble in and out of.
—Itzel Luna, Boston Herald, 22 Aug. 2025
Heather Wishart-Smith, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Not surprisingly, the 5-in-1 tool ultimately made it out a little late, as the usual crowd-funder stumbles and hiccups were thoroughly compounded by a global pandemic for which no one had planned.
—New Atlas, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for stumbling
Noun
Then Wilson couldn’t fill behind Knight, who ended up by his legs and stumbled 12 yards downfield while Croskey-Merritt crossed the goal line.
—Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2025
Yet the historical resonance falls flat amid the film’s overlong runtime, unlikable characters and shaky accents that most actors stumble in and out of.
—Itzel Luna, Boston Herald, 22 Aug. 2025
Verb
The ability to respond quickly, with coordination and confidence, is what separates a stumble from a scandal.
—Heather Wishart-Smith, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Not surprisingly, the 5-in-1 tool ultimately made it out a little late, as the usual crowd-funder stumbles and hiccups were thoroughly compounded by a global pandemic for which no one had planned.
—New Atlas, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for stumbling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumbling
Noun
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What’s the most common mistake people make when trying to recreate the Honey Deuce at home?—
Emily Cappiello,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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Austin Jackson told reporters last month that the players were behind the decision to run laps after committing penalties or mental mistakes in practice.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Perhaps no player has drawn more raves from defensive coordinator Jovan Dewitt this fall than Josiah Taylor, a second-year linebacker.—
Walter Villa,
Miami Herald,
27 Aug. 2025
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After making their way along the west coast this fall, with support from Saintseneca and Built to Spill’s Doug Martsch, the band will fly to Asia for concerts in Tokyo, Osaka, and Singapore.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
27 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Target’s brief foray into Canada is still considered one of the biggest foreign blunders by a major US retailer.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
20 Aug. 2025
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This instance, and several other AI blunders, have led to companies such as McDonald's and Klarna rolling back on AI policies.—
Gary Drenik,
Forbes.com,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The potential reasons behind the latest tourism tumble are numerous.—
Camila Bernal,
NBC news,
19 Aug. 2025
-
In the 1990s tumble, California’s affordability peaked at 44%.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Fourth-year coach Clay Helton will be leaning on junior quarterback JC French to cut out some of the errors seen en route to an 8-5 record in 2024, having lost the New Orleans Bowl to Sam Houston State in last season's finale despite racking up 126 yards more than the eventual winners.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Aug. 2025
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All four runs scored following a pair of Mets errors in the fifth, when Eric Wagaman had an RBI single and scored on Alonso’s miscue before Otto Lopez laced a two-run single.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
30 Aug. 2025
Noun
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It is also lined with an oil-resistant, satin-finish lining for those occasional spills.—
Angelina Villa-Clarke,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
-
Also, use your range hood while cooking to remove evaporating grease and immediately clean up splatters and spills.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The Dolphins clearly lucked out because there were long stretches of training camp where Gay, an undersized hybrid linebacker who is an emotional spark plug, made a flashy play (interception, sack, forced fumble, tackle for loss) every day.—
Omar Kelly
August 22,
Miami Herald,
22 Aug. 2025
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Gabriel, on the other hand, threw an interception and lost a fumble.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Today, simple ivory slip dresses remain a popular style and are sold everywhere from Victoria Beckham and Max Mara to Reformation and Rixo.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
14 Aug. 2025
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Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann’s small slip of paper in his sock during the 2006 World Cup quarter-final shootout against Argentina is often cited as the origin point in the modern game.—
Matt Pyzdrowski,
New York Times,
13 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stumbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumbling. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
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