TUMBLING Synonyms: 165 Similar and Opposite Words

tumbling

verb

Definition of tumbling

present participle of tumble

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

as in plunging

to go to a lower level especially abruptly stock prices tumbled after the earnings report was released

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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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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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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 tumbling But the market has been biased toward peace, tumbling 9% or more over single- or multi-day stretches eight times over the same stretch. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026 The Minihausens tried to built a human ladder to take the money, but Dominik Mysterio sent them tumbling down. — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026 Indeed, most are tumbling back down the levels after a few years of academy football. — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026 Giving Preller more reason to buy than to sell, the Padres (55-53) now sit just 1 1/2 games behind the Diamondbacks (57-52) and the tumbling Phillies (57-52) for the second and third spots. — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 July 2026 Momentum stocks are on track for their worst month on record, with the iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF (MTUM) tumbling more than 15% this month. — Sarah Min, CNBC, 29 July 2026 Boisterous siblings tumbling over each other in the backyard, a minivan in the driveway to get to and from a chaotic slew of activities and a house filled with constant chaos. — Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 25 July 2026 When the servicer’s robotic arm touches a tumbling satellite, the force from that contact pushes the servicer back. — Wanjiku Chebet Kanjumba, The Conversation, 22 July 2026 Front-load washers are gentler on delicate fabrics and use tumbling and soak time to clean effectively. — Maria Sabella, The Spruce, 20 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tumbling

Verb

Global markets were also mixed, with South Korea’s Kospi stock index falling another 6% Wednesday as doubts over massive investments in artificial intelligence once again led investors to dump chipmakers’ shares.

— Yuri Kageyama, Fortune, 29 July 2026
Hikers in an area of the San Bernardino National Forest are being warned of falling rocks after one woman was injured, and another woman died after she was suspected to have been hit in the head by a large boulder.

— Paris Barraza, USA Today, 29 July 2026

Definition of falling

Verb

On July 26, the wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos modeled a plunging black bathing suit on her Instagram Stories.

— Hannah Malach, InStyle, 27 July 2026
The driver lost control of their vehicle in the 6900 block of South Cicero Avenue, plunging off the bridge carrying the roadway and colliding with a train box car below, police said.

— Evgenia Anastasakos, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2026

Definition of plunging

Verb

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in plastics, pesticides, skincare products and food additives can interfere with hormone receptors and disturb reproductive hormone balance at younger ages.

— Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 25 July 2026
Riverside County has embraced the approach in hopes of disrupting the drug trade and preventing overdoses.

— Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2026

Definition of disrupting

Verb

The most underachieving team on the Los Angeles sports landscape is embarrassingly stumbling through another season.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
This can help prevent the patient from stumbling across information that’s difficult to understand, potentially upsetting, or just plain irrelevant to their own situation.

— Nicole Pajer, PEOPLE, 28 July 2026

Definition of stumbling

Verb

Perhaps not for the fainthearted, this involves being gently slapped with oak branches in the sauna before dipping into a bracing cold plunge (rinse and repeat).

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 July 2026
More footage shot inside the disco shows the Real Madrid hunk grabbing Exposito, dipping her down and giving her a big kiss in front of everyone.

— Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 21 July 2026

Definition of dipping

Verb

Pre-shot routines such as Patrick Cantlay’s foot-shuffling and Brian Harman’s waggles have driven golf fans up a wall.

— Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Far more than an administrative exercise or paper-shuffling task, effective onboarding has the potential to lay the foundation for not only a successful hire, but for a mutually satisfying employment tenure.

— Zaharia-Gabriel Sidere, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of shuffling

Verb

Euphoric players cavorting in disbelief, long-suffering fans crumpling to their knees in tears, commentators’ voices cracking at the drama of it all.

— Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 27 July 2026
Moses Moody scored 23 points before crumpling to the floor with an apparently serious left knee injury late in overtime as the Golden State Warriors beat Dallas 137-131 on Monday night, extending the Mavericks' home losing streak to 12 games, their longest in 32 years.

— CBS News, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026