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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of stumble
Christian Babcock, The Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2025
The Lions stumbled badly and Campbell fired offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn after an 0-8 start, elevating Johnson to passing game coordinator.
—Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2025
Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 1 Jan. 2025
Putting athletic wings or forwards on or around Towns has led to stumbles here and there.
—James L. Edwards Iii, The Athletic, 27 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stumble 
Verb
In a gym where so many strong teams have stumbled this season, the Cougars’ supremacy ensured there was never a doubt in the second half.
—Christian Babcock, The Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2025
The Lions stumbled badly and Campbell fired offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn after an 0-8 start, elevating Johnson to passing game coordinator.
—Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2025
Noun
YouTube sensation MrBeast, widely known for his jaw-dropping stunts and philanthropic giveaways, has faced a rare stumble with his latest venture, the Beast Games show.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 1 Jan. 2025
Putting athletic wings or forwards on or around Towns has led to stumbles here and there.
—James L. Edwards Iii, The Athletic, 27 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stumble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumble
Verb
-
Good news for green energy The cost of a utility-scale solar panels has fallen 82% since 2010, according to the the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.—
Elizabeth Weise,
USA TODAY,
16 Feb. 2025
-
Just like this claim, the others will fall apart because there is no truth to them.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
15 Feb. 2025
Verb
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About two hours later the struggling animal was still at the same spot, so the resident, Patrick Hines, reported the incident to East Hampton Town police.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
16 Feb. 2025
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Meanwhile, she’s drawn to Anja (Saskia Rosendahl), a struggling single mother from the Brandenburg countryside where Isabell’s architect father built a striking modernist home.—
Alissa Simon,
Variety,
16 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Smaller breeds take the field in the first quarter, and the lineup shuffles to play the larger breeds in the fourth quarter.—
Emma Bowman,
NPR,
8 Feb. 2025
-
Some of that work has been controversial, like Gov. Jeff Landry's sudden moves to shuffle homeless people out from prime downtown locations.—
Chelsea Brasted,
Axios,
7 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The seventh season will no doubt spotlight Leclerc’s win in his native Monaco, Norris fumbling his first WDC and Carlos Sainz’s search for an F1 seat after Hamilton’s shock move to Ferrari.—
Lily Ford,
The Hollywood Reporter,
7 Feb. 2025
-
Snoop Dogg couldn't fumble the opportunity to roast the nearly 50-year age gap between football coach Bill Belichick and his girlfriend at the NFL Honors.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
7 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Expert instructors will teach you how to get started, practical uses, tips for effective prompt-writing, and mistakes to avoid.—
Kamaron McNair,
CNBC,
15 Feb. 2025
-
Misunderstandings or mistakes, however, could spell catastrophe.—
Alfredo Sosa,
The Christian Science Monitor,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
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And yet, even though this one wasn’t as flashy, Preece said this wreck was scarier than his previous tumble.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Feb. 2025
-
There was a scary one in 2020, with Ryan Newman’s terrifying tumble that nearly killed him on the final lap of the race.—
Mark Long,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The permission slip to use free will that gives me is actually beyond words.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
14 Feb. 2025
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Our memories try to protect us, and often what slips from our remembering is what is best left behind.—
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie,
Vogue,
13 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Boston stomped the competition last season en route to winning their record 18th NBA championship.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
Newsweek,
1 Feb. 2025
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As the lead-in to headliners Red Clay Strays, 49 Winchester were a hard act to follow, with singer Isaac Gibson stomping about the stage while showing off the wide range of emotion in his voice.—
Josh Crutchmer,
Rolling Stone,
30 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near stumble
Cite this Entry
“Stumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumble. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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