stumble across/on/onto/upon

idiom

: to find or learn about (something) unexpectedly
I stumbled across/on/upon this book by chance.
We stumbled onto/across the ruins of an old fort.
They stumbled on/upon a bizarre plot.
He stumbled onto the truth.

Examples of stumble across/on/onto/upon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web For example, humans who stumble upon a black skimmer’s nest will hustle out of the area. Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 12 Sep. 2024 But visitors are encouraged to walk the garden’s lovely, winding paths, leaving it up to serendipity to stumble across something musically beautiful. Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 11 Sep. 2024 Naturally, during this very same episode, the elven party led by Elrond and Galadriel, but now with a few new elves whose names are as forgettable as their characters, stumble upon the Barrow Downs. Erik Kain, Forbes, 6 Sep. 2024 Directed by Fede Álvarez, Romulus is set between the events of Alien and Aliens, following a group of young space explorers who stumble upon the wreckage of a space station. Maddie Garfinkle, Peoplemag, 16 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for stumble across/on/onto/upon 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stumble across/on/onto/upon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near stumble across/on/onto/upon

stumble

stumble across/on/onto/upon

stumblebum

Cite this Entry

“Stumble across/on/onto/upon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stumble%20across%2Fon%2Fonto%2Fupon. Accessed 18 Sep. 2024.

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