tumbles 1 of 2

plural of tumble
1
2
as in falls
the act of going down from an upright position suddenly and involuntarily took a little tumble on the ice

Synonyms & Similar Words

3

tumbles

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of tumble
1
as in stumbles
to go down from an upright position suddenly and involuntarily the infant stood for a moment and then tumbled on the carpet

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
4

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of tumbles
Noun
After the cannon booms shatters these boxes, the ensemble tumbles together in a finale worthy of Tchaikovsky. Carlos Valladares, ARTnews.com, 11 Sep. 2026 Moments before a winner was declared, Eckert concluded her reign with two accidental tumbles on stage, prompting a standing ovation from the crowd. Morgan Evans, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 This highly competent, obsessive duo tumbles into a self-destructive cat-and-mouse dynamic — but who’s the cat and who’s the mouse? Sara Netzley, Entertainment Weekly, 2 July 2026 Topline OpenAI is now leaning toward delaying its public debut from later this year to next year, unnamed sources told The New York Times, as Elon Musk’s SpaceX stock tumbles after its record IPO and the public tech market slumps more broadly. Alicia Park, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026 Florida’s highest waterfall tumbles down a verdant, 100-foot-deep sinkhole. Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 23 June 2026 The firm is maintaining its 2026 oil price forecast at $100 per barrel for Brent, even as the global benchmark tumbles below $80 per barrel for the first time since March. Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 16 June 2026 The tumbles and trust falls might start to scare you, but this is hardly these clowns’ first rodeo. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 14 June 2026 After a number of tumbles through the incoming crashing waves, Phan grabbed ahold of the shark's tail and fearlessly guided it back into the ocean, prompting cheers from onlookers. Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
From trashing bedrooms and throwing couches, the pair tumbles down stairs and has a chase across the lawn before ending up in the pool. Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026 Front load washers are built with a horizontal drum that tumbles the clothes in each cycle. Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 14 Aug. 2026 Kris tumbles, scrambles up, and, in the movie’s best throwaway, apologizes to the advancing killer. Jp Mangalindan, Time, 10 Aug. 2026 The glowing ribbon of the Milky Way tumbles directly through this cosmic triangle before arcing towards the southern horizon, though its diffuse light will be hidden behind a veil of moonlight on the night of the full moon. Anthony Wood, Space.com, 2 July 2026 Then the wisdom tumbles like Milk Duds fresh from the concessionaire. Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026 At the same time, Dangerous Woman, one of Grande's earliest releases, tumbles down the roster. Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026 The flagellar bundle falls apart, and the cell tumbles. Quanta Magazine, 20 Apr. 2026 Frothy water tumbles over sandstone and rock, creating challenging rapids with ominous names like Dragon's Tooth and Hell's Gate. Joie Probst, Midwest Living, 10 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tumbles
Noun
  • Arches and natural bridges sweep like buttresses from jumbles of rock, giving this landscape a mystical, cathedral-like quality.
    Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Macaroons are chewy jumbles of coconut bound together with egg whites and sweetened condensed milk.
    Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The Limits of a Single Number A testosterone reference range shows where a man’s level falls compared with the population.
    Malana VanTyler, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Yosemite Falls is dry and Vernal, Nevada and Bridalveil falls are usually down to a trickle in September.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Plus, don’t miss out on handy finds like this handheld vacuum that makes quick work of small messes in tight spaces and an insulated Yeti tumbler that keeps water cold all day long.
    Isabel Garcia, PEOPLE, 6 Sep. 2026
  • One of its many messes was the expansion of the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements program, run by the Department of Homeland Security.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Byron Nelson stumbles again Normally an area power, Trophy Club Byron Nelson is off to a rocky start.
    Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Camp’s turn here as a kooky neighbor who stumbles into an unexpected romance is exactly the kind of role that gets a room talking (and laughing).
    Clayton Davis, Variety, 4 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The tense moment lasts for several seconds before the hippo plunges back underwater and stops following the boat.
    Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Dreams may be a universal and rich experience that plunges us into the unconscious to evoke some truth.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 July 2026
Verb
  • But anything that disrupts the unfussy, uncomplicated energy of this adult drama would likely torpedo the whole enterprise.
    Marshall Shaffer, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Stiltgrass spreads quickly, outcompetes native plants, and disrupts ecosystems by reducing biodiversity.
    Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 9 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • As a result, each shell collapses sequentially, gradually absorbing and dissipating the kinetic energy.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026
  • However, revenue per shopper collapses because nobody browses on the way out.
    Bar Maimon, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • On the other side, Spring said the overhauled Macy’s stores have had better assortments, more customer assistance and stronger displays of merchandise to help improve the experience.
    Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026
  • These shifts are shaping our product development around sharper, more purposeful assortments, while growing consumer interest in wellness and active lifestyles is opening adjacent opportunities.
    Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 9 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Tumbles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tumbles. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

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