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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to struggle
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually
stumbled twice while she was reciting the "Gettysburg Address"
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of stumble
Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 27 June 2025
Bumble stumbles As younger users abandon online dating apps, companies like Bumble are being forced to lay off hundreds of workers and put a stronger emphasis on AI to find compatible matches.
—Jade Walker, CNN Money, 26 June 2025
Ted Johnson, Deadline, 10 June 2025
But that stumble constitutes Hwang’s only confrontation with the hypocrisy that ruins Yellow Face and its inherent PBS conceit.
—Armond White, National Review, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for stumble
Verb
Previous attempts to improve the efficiency of cross-border payments for intra-Africa trade have stumbled due to the absence of political will, said Kenneth Ugwuanyi, head of transaction banking at the United Bank for Africa Group which operates in 20 African countries.
—Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 27 June 2025
Bumble stumbles As younger users abandon online dating apps, companies like Bumble are being forced to lay off hundreds of workers and put a stronger emphasis on AI to find compatible matches.
—Jade Walker, CNN Money, 26 June 2025
Noun
Ford started his speech by quipping about his recent stumble down the steps of Air Force One during a visit to Salzburg, Austria.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 10 June 2025
But that stumble constitutes Hwang’s only confrontation with the hypocrisy that ruins Yellow Face and its inherent PBS conceit.
—Armond White, National Review, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for stumble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumble
Verb
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When her moment came to walk the red carpet three days later, a radiant Cassie held hands with Combs, her hair styled to fall just over her injured eyebrow and eye.—
Laura Trujillo,
USA Today,
27 June 2025
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Monthly spending has also fallen by almost $20 year-over-year.—
Jon Kirchner,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
Verb
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However, San Jose has struggled to keep pace, with the city failing to see a single construction start last year for market-rate multi-family developments over 20 units, making the Pleasant Hills project a potential bonus should it be constructed.—
Devan Patel,
Mercury News,
28 June 2025
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Now, with no practical skills to speak of, the newly unemployed Grant struggled to find work.—
Casey Cep,
New Yorker,
28 June 2025
Verb
-
Nicolo Barella would often drop between Stefan de Vrij and right centre-back Matteo Darmian or pull wide outside of Urawa’s defensive block to kickstart Inter’s possession, meaning the Japanese side were comfortable shuffling from side to side with the game in front of them.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
21 June 2025
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The latest major example of this reliable horror subgenre shuffling (or in this case running) into theaters is 28 Years Later.—
James Grebey,
Time,
20 June 2025
Verb
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While the pull chain is much easier than trying to fumble with a tiny button, the shade occasionally catches on it when closing.—
Simon Hill,
Wired News,
18 June 2025
-
His team had just fumbled a win on the biggest stage, and his eyes wandered.—
Tony East,
Forbes.com,
15 June 2025
Noun
-
My family has a history of a lot of the same mistakes, especially among the men.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
27 June 2025
-
Jumping onto Andrew Cuomo’s leaky ship was a devastating mistake for the pro-Israel movement.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
27 June 2025
Noun
-
The coating also isn’t chip-resistant so a tumble might cause a scuff or two.—
Cheryl Fenton,
Parents,
19 June 2025
-
The aftermath of Virginia’s clumsy tumble into a rose bed where her exposed cleavage is profusely pricked by thorns lasts for all of one scene.—
Courtney Howard,
Variety,
16 June 2025
Verb
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Notifications ping, Slack channels light up, and deep work slips further away.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
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Inside each room, guests can slip into traditional Japanese house garb (provided complimentary by the hotel), admire modern decor by designer Tony Chi, or take a dip in the jacuzzi-style tub.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
26 June 2025
Verb
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The dinos will stomp back into theaters just in time to set off major fireworks at the Fourth of July holiday, or at least that’s the hope.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
12 June 2025
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To close out the show, Megan stomped down the catwalk in the Dipped in Gold One-Piece from her swimwear collection, made in collaboration with Walmart.—
Starr Bowenbank,
People.com,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumble. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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