1
as in falling
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in plunging
to go to a lower level especially abruptly
stock prices tumbled after the earnings report was released
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in disrupting
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
tumbled all the clothes in her closet as she furiously searched for her favorite pair of jeans
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in collapsing
to fall down or in as a result of physical pressure
all we need is one strong wind, and that old barn is going to tumble
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tumbling
Literally one false step can send you sliding down a hill or tumbling down a cliff face in a way that sets you back anywhere from mere minutes to sizable chunks of an hour.
—
ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2025
Statues of confederate generals came tumbling down, and people were publicly shamed on Twitter and fired by their employers over remarks deemed racially insensitive.
—Michael Collins, USA Today, 20 Sep. 2025
While the greenback has depreciated against other major currencies this year, with the dollar index tumbling over 10%, those currencies have also weakened in value relative to gold, Dalio said, noting that gold has become the second largest reserve currency globally.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 19 Sep. 2025
The loss sent South Carolina tumbling similarly to its Palmetto Bowl rivals.
—Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tumbling
ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2025
Statues of confederate generals came tumbling down, and people were publicly shamed on Twitter and fired by their employers over remarks deemed racially insensitive.
—Michael Collins, USA Today, 20 Sep. 2025
While the greenback has depreciated against other major currencies this year, with the dollar index tumbling over 10%, those currencies have also weakened in value relative to gold, Dalio said, noting that gold has become the second largest reserve currency globally.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 19 Sep. 2025
The loss sent South Carolina tumbling similarly to its Palmetto Bowl rivals.
—Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tumbling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tumbling
Verb
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With less money being invested by record labels into touring, that has created a top-heavy artist hierarchy, with the rich getting richer and the poor and middle class falling by the wayside.—
Roy Trakin,
Rolling Stone,
1 Oct. 2025
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The group acknowledged a need to modernize the government's data gathering processes, which have been hampered by falling survey response rates.—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey report for August, which was released on Tuesday, showed that construction job openings were nearly halved, plunging by 115,000 roles — the second-largest drop on record.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
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Madonna opted for a black satin look with a plunging neckline that showed off a hint of cleavage, while Lourdes also went for a plunging scoop neck dress that showed off her tattoos.—
Starr Bowenbank,
PEOPLE,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Ride-hailing giants Uber and Bolt are disrupting Kenya’s lucrative safari market with new services that are driving fears of price cuts among traditional tour operators.—
Martin K.N Siele,
semafor.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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Cuban founded Cost Plus Drugs, a similar direct-to-consumer (DTC) platform, in 2022 with the goal of disrupting the health care industry.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Those traditional systems are now collapsing alongside aquifers, and ancient settlements in Yazd in central Iran, Kerman in southeast Iran, and Khorasan in northeastern Iran have been abandoned as qanats dried up, aquifers caved in, and land subsided.—
Nik Kowsar,
Time,
2 Oct. 2025
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Some of the homes now collapsing were once a few lots back from the beach, local residents told USA TODAY.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Ross and the unit's six other horses are responsible for helping the police handle crowd control, whether its amid the thousands stumbling through Lower Broadway or the rush of 65,000 fans entering or leaving Nissan Stadium for a Titans game.—
Craig Shoup,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Oct. 2025
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In other words, Steve is a lot to play, and the Oscar-winner throws himself into every forlorn expression, every kindly mentoring session, every manic bit of rushing to and fro as chaos reigns around him, every stumbling step toward self-medicating into oblivion.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Illini were early adopters dipping in the international pool to go buy players rather than going heavy in the transfer portal.—
CJ Moore,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
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The series is well-regarded by critics, who correctly hail it as a good starting point for little ones just now dipping their toes into Star Wars.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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To him, the equipment staff shuffling pieces around on the field during practice is just as important as the head coach standing by.—
Christopher Kamrani,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
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During the 2024 rampage, two suspects wearing masks were captured on surveillance video shuffling up a driveway and firing weapons towards the home.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The sixth inning also featured a frightening moment when Cleveland’s David Fry, squaring around to bunt, took a 99 mph fastball from Skubal off his face, crumpling to the dirt as Skubal reacted with distress.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025
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Singh’s truck blocked both lanes of the northbound Turnpike, leading the Chrysler Town & Country minivan the three friends were riding in to slam into the semi’s 18-wheeler trailer, crumpling underneath it.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tumbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tumbling. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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