tumbles 1 of 2

noun

plural of tumble
1
as in jumbles
an unorganized collection or mixture of various things cleaned a crazy tumble of buttons, hair bands, loose change, and old candy wrappers out from the couch cushions

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2
as in falls
the act of going down from an upright position suddenly and involuntarily took a little tumble on the ice

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3
as in messes
a state in which everything is out of order her office is a tumble of books and papers, but somehow she can find everything

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tumbles

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of tumble
1
as in stumbles
to go down from an upright position suddenly and involuntarily the infant stood for a moment and then tumbled on the carpet

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2
as in plunges
to go to a lower level especially abruptly stock prices tumbled after the earnings report was released

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3
as in disrupts
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 collapses
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 tumbles
Noun
George Santos took quite a few tumbles during his two-episode stint on the Fox reality show, but one — much to his chagrin — didn’t make it to air. — Entertainment Weekly, 3 Oct. 2026 Some drives are rated as drop-proof (HDDs are more vulnerable to tumbles than SSDs), shock-proof, or crush-proof; an ingress protection (IP) rating denotes protection from dust, dirt, and water. — George Yang, PC Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026 After the cannon booms shatters these boxes, the ensemble tumbles together in a finale worthy of Tchaikovsky. — Carlos Valladares, ARTnews.com, 11 Sep. 2026 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 Topline OpenAI is now leaning toward delaying its public debut from later this year to next year, unnamed sources told The New York Times, as Elon Musk’s SpaceX stock tumbles after its record IPO and the public tech market slumps more broadly. — Alicia Park, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026 Florida’s highest waterfall tumbles down a verdant, 100-foot-deep sinkhole. — Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 23 June 2026 The firm is maintaining its 2026 oil price forecast at $100 per barrel for Brent, even as the global benchmark tumbles below $80 per barrel for the first time since March. — Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 16 June 2026 The tumbles and trust falls might start to scare you, but this is hardly these clowns’ first rodeo. — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 14 June 2026
Verb
From trashing bedrooms and throwing couches, the pair tumbles down stairs and has a chase across the lawn before ending up in the pool. — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026 Front load washers are built with a horizontal drum that tumbles the clothes in each cycle. — Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 14 Aug. 2026 Kris tumbles, scrambles up, and, in the movie’s best throwaway, apologizes to the advancing killer. — Jp Mangalindan, Time, 10 Aug. 2026 The glowing ribbon of the Milky Way tumbles directly through this cosmic triangle before arcing towards the southern horizon, though its diffuse light will be hidden behind a veil of moonlight on the night of the full moon. — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 2 July 2026 Then the wisdom tumbles like Milk Duds fresh from the concessionaire. — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026 At the same time, Dangerous Woman, one of Grande's earliest releases, tumbles down the roster. — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026 The flagellar bundle falls apart, and the cell tumbles. — Quanta Magazine, 20 Apr. 2026 Frothy water tumbles over sandstone and rock, creating challenging rapids with ominous names like Dragon's Tooth and Hell's Gate. — Joie Probst, Midwest Living, 10 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tumbles
  1. jumbles
  2. falls
  3. messes
  4. stumbles
  5. plunges
  6. disrupts
  7. collapses
  8. assortments
Noun
  • Arches and natural bridges sweep like buttresses from jumbles of rock, giving this landscape a mystical, cathedral-like quality.
    — Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Macaroons are chewy jumbles of coconut bound together with egg whites and sweetened condensed milk.
    — Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of jumbles
Noun
  • On Thursday, that included two slip-and-falls that resulted in a 64-yard gain to set up a touchdown and a 21-yard gain on third-and-21 to move the chains and set up another Buccaneers touchdown.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The 1,700-meter-wide falls are undeniably impressive—after all, this is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world.
    — Charukesi Ramadurai, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of falls
Noun
  • Coffee spills, muddy shoes, pet mishaps, and everyday messes don’t have to turn into decorating disasters.
    — Ethan Stone October 9, Idaho Statesman, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Tackle stubborn messes effortlessly with the Roborock Qrevo Edge 2 Robot Vacuum and Mop.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of messes
Verb
  • The film will follow a boy (Leber), left to his own devices, who stumbles upon a secret late-night broadcast of lizards playing otherworldly music.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
  • While going through Verity’s files, Lowen stumbles on her memoir, an alleged confession.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of stumbles
Verb
  • Rather than upside-down loops and corkscrews, the two-decade-old coaster focuses on velocity and downhill plunges.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • While firms have no doubt been following the progress of international regulations and the formation of new standards for years now, supply chain visibility positively plunges beyond Tier 1.
    — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of plunges
Verb
  • Haidt argues that social media disrupts kids’ social and neurological development, contributing to rising anxiety and depression through sleep loss, fragmented attention, addiction, loneliness, social comparison and perfectionism.
    — Ari Lightman, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Washington’s policy “is more about visibility and narrative… than one that genuinely disrupts organized crime,â€� an expert told The Wall Street Journal.
    — Tasneem Nashrulla, semafor.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of disrupts
Verb
  • Measuring a quantum state typically collapses it, forcing it into one of two possible answers.
    — Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The arc of this feud is now well known to all and will no doubt be shaped into the epic poetry our descendants recite in front of bonfires long after our civilization collapses.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of collapses
Noun
  • Independent retailers typically place smaller orders, have fewer approval layers, and can adjust assortments closer to delivery than large national chains.
    — Jessica Binns, Vogue, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The vintage furniture—frames and mirrors and desks dating anywhere from the 16th to 19th centuries—sings in artful assortments.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of assortments

Browse Nearby Words

tumblers
tumbles
tumbles (to)
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Cite this Entry

“Tumbles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tumbles. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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