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
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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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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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4
as in to fumble
to make a mistake
that network announcer rarely stumbles when he's on the air
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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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of stumble
Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2025
Meanwhile, former officer Bernadette Manuelito (Jessica Matten) tries to adjust to her new job with Border Patrol, only to stumble upon a sprawling conspiracy.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 7 Jan. 2025
Russ Wiles, The Arizona Republic, 6 Dec. 2024
The Minnesota Wild’s blip is officially a stumble as the slumping, skidding team once again was a patsy against the Winnipeg Jets.
—Michael Russo, The Athletic, 22 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stumble 
Verb
Biden stumbled through a debate with Trump in June, raising alarms about his ability to win the election and lead the country.
—Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2025
Meanwhile, former officer Bernadette Manuelito (Jessica Matten) tries to adjust to her new job with Border Patrol, only to stumble upon a sprawling conspiracy.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 7 Jan. 2025
Noun
Is this the only stumble lately for chipmakers in Arizona?
—Russ Wiles, The Arizona Republic, 6 Dec. 2024
The Minnesota Wild’s blip is officially a stumble as the slumping, skidding team once again was a patsy against the Winnipeg Jets.
—Michael Russo, The Athletic, 22 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stumble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumble
Verb
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In light of latest jobs report, the Fed could wait and see if inflation falls closer to target levels, while remaining somewhat assured that the labor market will remain sturdy.Max Zahn, ABC News, 10 Jan. 2025
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That type of MicroLED technology is very, very expensive, and this concept will hopefully result in a TV that falls well below the $220,000 asking price The Wall's 4K options start at.Will Greenwald, PCMAG, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Walgreens, Rite Aid, Bench Commission, Dunia closures Pharmacy chains are struggling, too.David Staats, Idaho Statesman, 11 Jan. 2025
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With leading scorer Walter Clayton Jr. struggling to a season-low 7 points, backup Denzel Aberdeen had a season-high 16 points.Edgar Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2025
Verb
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As he’s been awaiting trial in Charlotte since his arrest in 2012 on a first-degree murder charge, Perkins has been shuffled between the Mecklenburg County jail, Broughton Hospital, Central Prison, and Central Regional Hospital dozens of times.Kallie Cox, Charlotte Observer, 17 Jan. 2025
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His defensive concentration — happy to shuffle players out wide and contain them in one-v-one duels — makes Reis an interesting potential option as a right-back for Guardiola, who often opts for four centre-backs across the defence.Thom Harris, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
Verb
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My manuscript was finally being read by editors, who responded with almost-wins — an overtime pass, fumbled.Tara Dorabji, People.com, 16 Jan. 2025
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Gone are the days of fumbling with cords and adapters—this smart board simplifies connectivity to keep your focus on what matters most.New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Then there were lesson plans, radon measurements, lead tests, plumbing and fire safety checks, and blueprints, each done according to very specific requirements where any mistakes would set them back months more.ProPublica, ProPublica, 10 Jan. 2025
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Structured processes like those in the military, Pixar, and Google demonstrate how providing psychological safety and encouraging honest feedback can lead to learning from mistakes and continuous improvement.Thomas Bostick, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Marshall Wace, one of London’s largest hedge funds, saw its earnings tumble by almost two-thirds last year.Robert Olsen, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025
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What a pathetic way for that portion of my career to end, with a sad little slow-motion tumble in the 64th minute of a miserable 3-2 defeat by Romania.Alan Shearer, The Athletic, 27 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Former unicorn Farfetch, which slipped into administration in late 2023, is being revamped under its new owner Coupang.Samantha Conti, WWD, 9 Jan. 2025
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The Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.06% — tech stocks like Palantir, Advanced Micro Devices and Micro Strategy had a rough day — but that’s still close to the flatline and not a precipitous drop.Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 9 Jan. 2025
Verb
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There's also the arrival of Shane's mother Kitty (Molly Shannon), who shows up to stomp all over the honeymoon his new bride Rachel is attempting to salvage.Griff Griffin, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025
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Like Frankenstein’s monster and so many of the robots that keep stomping across our big and small screens, Norbot also seems to threaten the very life that it’s meant to help.Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 2 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 Jan. 2025.
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