tumble

1 of 2

verb

tum·​ble ˈtəm-bəl How to pronounce tumble (audio)
tumbled; tumbling ˈtəm-b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce tumble (audio)
Synonyms of tumble

intransitive verb

1
a
: to fall suddenly and helplessly
b
: to suffer a sudden downfall, overthrow, or defeat
c
: to decline suddenly and sharply (as in price) : drop
the stock market tumbled
d
: to fall into ruin : collapse
2
a
: to perform gymnastic feats in tumbling
b
: to turn end over end in falling or flight
3
: to roll over and over, to and fro, or end over end : toss
4
: to issue forth hurriedly and confusedly
5
: to come by chance : stumble
6
British, informal : to come to understand : catch on
didn't tumble to the seriousness of the problem

transitive verb

1
: to cause to tumble (as by pushing or toppling)
2
a
: to throw together in a confused mass
b
: rumple, disorder
3
: to whirl in a tumbling barrel

tumble

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: a disordered mass of objects or material
b
: a disorderly state
2
: an act or instance of tumbling

Synonyms of tumble

Relevance

Verb

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of tumble in a Sentence

Verb He tripped and tumbled to the ground. The statue came tumbling down during the riots. The satellite was tumbling out of control. She slipped and tumbled down the hill. Everyone came tumbling out of the bar at closing time. He tumbled into bed and fell asleep. Water tumbled over the rocks. Noun cleaned a crazy tumble of buttons, hair bands, loose change, and old candy wrappers out from the couch cushions took a little tumble on the ice
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Verb
Fox Factory — The vehicle suspension maker tumbled 9% after CEO Mike Dennison stepped down from his role. — Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026 Justin Jefferson somehow separated enough from the triple coverage that converged at the apex of his route, leaped to snag the ball with both hands, tapped both feet on the turf, and tumbled backward to put the Vikings in front. — CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Noun
Fencing, orange cones, and loose gravel lay in a messy tumble beside its entrance; a tarp was draped, like a dishrag, across the roof. — Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026 The neoclound computing firm saw its stock tumble and credit default swaps surge recently. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tumble

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, frequentative of tumben to dance, from Old English tumbian; akin to Old High German tūmōn to reel

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

1634, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of tumble was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing tumble

Rhymes for tumble

See All Rhymes for tumble

Browse Nearby Words

tumbak
tumble
tumblebug
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tumble. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

tumble

1 of 2 verb
tum·​ble ˈtəm-bəl How to pronounce tumble (audio)
tumbled; tumbling -b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce tumble (audio)
1
a
: to perform gymnastic feats of rolling and turning
b
: to turn end over end in falling or in flight
the satellite was tumbling out of control
2
a
: to fall suddenly and helplessly
b
: to suffer a sudden downward turn or defeat
3
: to move or go in a hurried or confused way
everyone came tumbling out at closing time
4
: to come to understand
I thought you'd tumble to what I meant
5
: to toss about or together into a confused mass
tumble the ingredients lightly

tumble

2 of 2 noun
1
: a messy state or collection
2
: an act or instance of tumbling
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