stumbling 1 of 2

adjective

as in muttering

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stumbling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of stumble
1
as in falling
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in struggling
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually stumbled twice while she was reciting the "Gettysburg Address"

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

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4
as in fumbling
to make a mistake that network announcer rarely stumbles when he's on the air

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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 stumbling
Verb
Resendiz finished strongly, sending Mazoudier stumbling backward in the final minute. — ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026 Not everybody getting off the ride, stumbling to see their picture on the wall, agrees that the thrills were worth the chills. — Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026 Big banks made changes to overdraft fees and fraud protections following previous testimony, for example, while former Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf abruptly resigned in 2016 after stumbling during hearings on the bank’s fake accounts scandal. — Reuters, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2026 In an era of geotags and influencers, there’s something deeply satisfying about stumbling upon a place that still feels like a secret. — Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 12 Oct. 2026 Charlie Pankow Moorpark The fumbling, bumbling Chargers keep stumbling in their unprecedented 0-4 start in the Jim Harbaugh era. — Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026 Unlike every other film genre, the history of horror, at least since the 1950s, is a story of amateurs stumbling in the dark. — Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026 Instead of stumbling like the Phillies and Cubs, the Padres surged and took with them the #1 Wild Card spot, earning the right to host this series. — Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026 One of my favorite projects involved walking across the largest city in the Lower 48, only with the general framework of a plan, stumbling upon all kinds of interesting people, places and history. — Mark Woods, Florida Times-Union, 20 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumbling
  1. faltering
  2. falling
  3. struggling
  4. shuffling
  5. fumbling
  6. sputtering
  7. tripping
  8. blundering
Adjective
  • Politicians may read those numbers and think twice before stepping in to rescue faltering AI firms.
    — RUCHIR SHARMA, Foreign Affairs, 13 Oct. 2026
  • This time, after being four outs from stealing Game 1 before faltering, then pulling off an epic Game 2 win, the Phillies reverted to their worst selves in Game 3.
    — Matt Gelb, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of faltering
Verb
  • The disruption has sent transits through the straits of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb falling sharply after mostly recovering to their pre-war levels.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
  • This all comes at a time when supply is falling — and falling faster than demand is recovering.
    — Diana Olick, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of falling
Verb
  • But while most young people are struggling to land their first opportunity, some have jumped the line by building their own small businesses and startups—and young founders are now ramping up hiring even as companies across industries slow theirs.
    — Muskaan Arshad, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The film includes flashbacks to his time in the war and features a parallel story about his young carer struggling to make ends meet.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of struggling
Verb
  • Green tea was served by gang members shuffling around in slippers.
    — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Ivey and his partner persuaded the Crockfords dealer to rotate the high-value cards 180 degrees before shuffling them back into the pack, citing some obscure superstition as justification.
    — Kit Chellel, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of shuffling
Verb
  • The Seahawks had one of the worst turnovers in the NFL this season, fumbling in their own end zone and handing the 49ers a touchdown with 13 seconds left in the first half.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Specifically, Nico Iamaleava struggled, fumbling once and throwing interceptions to Oregon’s Koi Perich and Jerry Mixon.
    — Elias Esquivel, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of fumbling
Adjective
  • On a day that Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis threw two interceptions and lost a fumble and again generally struggled, coach Jeff Hafley said the turnovers are not acceptable and made clear the team’s sputtering passing game must be better.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2026
  • America’s cost-of-living concerns and a bond market meltdown aren’t functions of a sputtering economy that’s running out of gas.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of sputtering
Verb
  • In overtime, the Golden Knights quickly took advantage of a tripping penalty on Kings center Scott Laughton.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Behar, who dislocated the shoulder after catching her heel and tripping last week at The View‘s ABC studio building in New York, is expected to return to the show next week.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of tripping
Verb
  • Only a blundering idiot could spoil such an alliance and threaten damage to Florida’s economy.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026
  • On Monday, the first day of the trial in which Basabe is representing himself without an attorney, the proceedings were shaded by Basabe’s blundering legal missteps and procedural chaos.
    — Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026
Definition of blundering

Phrases Containing stumbling

Browse Nearby Words

stumble (upon)
stumbling
stumbling block
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Cite this Entry

“Stumbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumbling. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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