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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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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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
Protect Other Bathroom Items In small bathrooms, your entire makeup stash might be an inch away from tumbling into the toilet.
—
Abby Wolner, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 June 2026
But it's been seven years since Lightsail 2's launch, and NASA's latest test flight of an advanced solar sail design suffered deployment glitches and ended up tumbling in space.
—Kiona N. Smith, Space.com, 31 May 2026
The bodies are tumbling offstage, but the ball hasn’t moved.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 28 May 2026
In the black and Carrara marble lobby, the vibe is modern and futuristic, with a cacophonous waterfall tumbling down the walls in a stream of fluorescent colors and a lone scarlet grand piano bringing a pleasing pop of color.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for tumbling
Abby Wolner, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 June 2026
But it's been seven years since Lightsail 2's launch, and NASA's latest test flight of an advanced solar sail design suffered deployment glitches and ended up tumbling in space.
—Kiona N. Smith, Space.com, 31 May 2026
The bodies are tumbling offstage, but the ball hasn’t moved.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 28 May 2026
In the black and Carrara marble lobby, the vibe is modern and futuristic, with a cacophonous waterfall tumbling down the walls in a stream of fluorescent colors and a lone scarlet grand piano bringing a pleasing pop of color.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for tumbling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tumbling
Verb
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Although the push to get Huang out of the race failed, the leftist’s campaign ended up falling flat, securing less than 3% of the vote in the primary.—
Noah Goldberg,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
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Wall Street, meanwhile, got some relief from falling oil prices.—
Stan Choe,
Fortune,
9 June 2026
Verb
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The floor-length number was designed with a plunging V-neck, adorned with sparkling floral appliques.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
10 June 2026
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Strong wind gusts are expected to move into the Boise area, forecasters said, bringing low road visibility, plunging temperatures and possible power outages.—
Hali Smith,
Idaho Statesman,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Lastly, azelaic acid can help reduce redness and breakouts gently, without disrupting the skin’s ecosystem.—
Tatiana Dias,
Vogue,
29 May 2026
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Jim also reiterated his view that concerns about AI disrupting cybersecurity have proven misguided as digital threats become increasingly sophisticated.—
Alexa LoMonaco,
CNBC,
29 May 2026
Verb
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The dread moving through professional offices right now is the sound of that assumption collapsing.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
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Badham had barely escaped another collapsing production, an early version of The Wiz starring Diana Ross, when producer Robert Stigwood suddenly called him in to take over what was then still called Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night, based on Nik Cohn’s famous New York magazine article.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
28 May 2026
Verb
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For them, a smarter alert can mean the difference between landing ready for a boardroom and stumbling in after an overnight airport stay.—
Gretchen Wittenmyer-Stone,
Miami Herald,
9 June 2026
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Below him, drunken partiers are stumbling back from a day in the unrelenting sun at the MGM Grand’s pool, many of them carrying inflatable tubes, and nearly all in various stages of undress.—
Joseph Hudak,
Rolling Stone,
8 June 2026
Verb
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Families are dipping into savings to maintain their spending, and more people are falling behind on their credit card bills.—
Christopher Rugaber,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
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Plenty of changes still require dipping into the central touchscreen, too, though a more widescreen-style horizontal aspect ratio with the main status bar moved to the left (closer to the driver’s hand) also helps here.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
9 June 2026
Verb
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Nilles reportedly learned 40 songs for the tour, so expect some setlist shuffling each date.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
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Having gone into hiding, Walt ultimately manages to make some things right before shuffling off the mortal coil.—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 June 2026
Verb
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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
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Late on, with the game already won, James Garner and substitute Merlin Rohl chased Enzo Fernandez, sending him crumpling to the turf.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tumbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tumbling. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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