stumble 1 of 2

verb

ˈstəm-bəl How to pronounce stumble (audio)
Definition of stumblenext
1
as in to fall
to go down from an upright position suddenly and involuntarily the bride stumbled on the altar steps and landed smack in the arms of the minister

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2
as in to struggle
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually stumbled twice while she was reciting the "Gettysburg Address"

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3
as in to shuffle
to move heavily or clumsily the tipsy revelers left the path and wearily stumbled through the tangled undergrowth

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to fumble
to make a mistake that network announcer rarely stumbles when he's on the air

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stumble

2 of 2

noun

1
as in mistake
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy was his hurtful remark a regrettable stumble, or was it made with artful intention?

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fall
the act of going down from an upright position suddenly and involuntarily has bones so brittle that a minor stumble could result in a serious break

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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 stumble
Verb
In her attempt to get away, the woman stumbled and injured her leg, screaming for help the whole time, police said. — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026 The teddy bears, the stumbling answers, the whole morning in the Cotillion was a mess. — Noah Shachtman, Vanity Fair, 25 Aug. 2026
Noun
After the stumble, the team also added a slew of improvements that have made the overall game better. — Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 6 Aug. 2026 Honeywell Aerospace shares tumbled 11% on Wednesday evening after the company reported weak quarterly results and cut its full-year outlook due to supply chain stumbles. — Jeff Marks, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stumble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumble
  1. fall
  2. struggle
  3. shuffle
  4. fumble
  5. mistake
  6. tumble
  7. slip
  8. stomp
Verb
  • The share of mid-cap companies in that has increased to 20% from 14% while that of 100 large-cap companies has fallen from 78% to 72%, the report showed.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The company says its reactor’s electrical output falls within the range of a high-performance vehicle drivetrain.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of fall
Verb
  • Three days later, the team brought in Moody, the former Michigan standout who has also struggled at times in his young career.
    — Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Restaurants and private grocery stores are struggling to stay open because of higher supply costs and lower consumption.
    — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of struggle
Verb
  • For nearly a year and a half, he was shuffled around detention centers in Texas, Arizona, Louisiana and Florida, until arriving in the Alexandria International Airport in mid-August.
    — Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The Yankees continued to shuffle their bullpen on Monday, claiming John Schreiber.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of shuffle
Verb
  • On his second drive, Tagovailoa fumbled the snap from center and the Dolphins recovered.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Centennial fumbled on its first possession to set up Petero’s two-yard touchdown run.
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of fumble
Noun
  • The mistakes that sink applications Loan files in this category rarely die because the borrower earns too little.
    — Karen Koehler, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Innovation Is Not One Game Organizations also make the mistake of treating innovation as a single activity.
    — Jeff DeGraff, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of mistake
Noun
  • 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
  • Although flight controllers managed to slow Link’s tumble, issues continued to plague its pointing and positioning in orbit.
    — Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of tumble
Verb
  • The metalpoint tool sometimes slips or skitters; the fountain pen sometimes stops working—though, deprived of vision, the artist is unaware, and keeps drawing the now-invisible line.
    — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The 49ers, an otherwise good team, have for the past couple of months been weaving and slipping bad news like a boxer trying to avoid a knockout punch.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of slip
Verb
  • Joined by his crew, Shakur stomps him out before the stunned gamblers and boxing fans.
    — Jeff Weiss, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The need for data Inside the headquarters of UBTech Robotics, one of China’s biggest humanoid robot firms, a silver-and-black mannequin picks up a box, stomps across the floor, and mechanically places the box on a shelf.
    — Ann Scott Tyson, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of stomp

Phrases Containing stumble

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stuffy
stumble
stumblebum
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Cite this Entry

“Stumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumble. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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