stumbled; stumbling
ˈstəm-b(ə-)liŋ 
1
a
: to fall into sin or waywardness
b
: to make an error : blunder
c
: to come to an obstacle to belief
2
: to trip in walking or running
3
a
: to walk unsteadily or clumsily
b
: to speak or act in a hesitant or faltering manner
4
a
: to come unexpectedly or by chance
stumble onto the truth
b
: to fall or move carelessly
Examples of stumble in a Sentence
Verb
I stumbled on the uneven pavement.
The horse stumbled and almost fell.
He stumbled drunkenly across the room.
He stumbled over to the table.
I heard him stumble over the unfamiliar words.
She stumbled through an apology.
The economy has stumbled in recent months.
Noun
was his hurtful remark a regrettable stumble, or was it made with artful intention?
has bones so brittle that a minor stumble could result in a serious break
Recent Examples on the Web
Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2025
Warning: Spoilers ahead for Severance Ever since Helly and Mark stumbled upon a room filled with goats in Season 1 of Severance, fans have been wondering why Lumon is raising these animals in their walls.
—Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 21 Mar. 2025
Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2025
The show’s other major stumble is its confounding timeline.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stumble
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show current usage.
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Verb
With Pochettino watching from the sidelines, the national team stumbled through its second lifeless loss in four days Sunday, falling to Canada 2-1 in the third place game of the CONCACAF Nations League before a tiny, mostly quiet crowd at SoFi Stadium.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2025
Warning: Spoilers ahead for Severance Ever since Helly and Mark stumbled upon a room filled with goats in Season 1 of Severance, fans have been wondering why Lumon is raising these animals in their walls.
—Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 21 Mar. 2025
Noun
Homecoming Years: 2018-2020 Length: 2 seasons, 17 episodes Creators: Eli Horowitz, Micah Bloomberg
The Janelle Monae–led second season was a bit of a stumble but the first remains a masterpiece.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2025
The show’s other major stumble is its confounding timeline.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stumble
Cite this Entry
“Stumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stumble. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.
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