as in to find
to come upon unexpectedly or by chance
while we were out on a drive in the country, we tumbled upon a farm stand selling the best peaches I've ever tasted
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tumble (upon)
Verb
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If finding indoor shelter is not an option: Stay away from open fields, hill summits, or ridge tops.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
7 June 2025 -
Fears that a serial killer is at large were reignited by the recent discovery of a body in a Texas lake, where 19 corpses have been found over the past three years.—
Sophie Clark,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 June 2025
Verb
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Domestic cats descend from desert-dwelling ancestors who rarely encountered large bodies of water.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 June 2025
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Yankees supporters are accustomed to Dodger Stadium being hostile ground, but being hit by a chunk of concrete falling from the stadium ceiling is beyond what fans steel themselves to encounter.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2025
Verb
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Since Newsom directed state workers to return to in-person work four days a week starting in July, several unions have filed unfair labor practices that allege the administration violated state labor laws by failing to meet and confer over the impacts of the policy change.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
8 June 2025
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It was agreed that Minna would meet Constance at home and proceed from there.—
Jim Shepard,
New Yorker,
8 June 2025
Verb
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Particularly nowadays, as science becomes more open and accessible to everyone, such arcane vocabulary can come across as old-fashioned and elitist.—
Nicholas Green,
The Conversation,
3 June 2025
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Then one day, Miranda came across a TikTok video that showed a hairstylist named Carly, recently diagnosed with breast cancer, sitting in a salon chair while friends and loved ones each took a turn cutting a piece of her hair.—
Jordan Greene,
People.com,
2 June 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Tumble (upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tumble%20%28upon%29. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.
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