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
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
The search party has stumbled upon two marble statues—the amplituhedron and now surfaceology.
—Charlie Wood, WIRED, 3 Nov. 2024
Larry Fleisher, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024
Especially in the earlier games, saving was heavily restricted, and progress could be easily lost—one brain-dead stumble can set you back an hour.
—Gabriel Winslow-Yost, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stumble 
Verb
The Denver Nuggets have stumbled to a bumpy start this season, even while being generally healthy.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
The search party has stumbled upon two marble statues—the amplituhedron and now surfaceology.
—Charlie Wood, WIRED, 3 Nov. 2024
Noun
The Yankees know by now merely being the best in the AL hardly guarantees anything and how tricky the division series can be from their stumbles in the 1995, 1997, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2018 and 2020 editions of the best-of-five series.
—Larry Fleisher, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024
Especially in the earlier games, saving was heavily restricted, and progress could be easily lost—one brain-dead stumble can set you back an hour.
—Gabriel Winslow-Yost, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stumble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumble
Verb
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Valor recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran out the clock after that as Regis fell a win short of the quarterfinals for the second year in a row.Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 17 Nov. 2024
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That’s in part because Democrats fell short in their bid to flip enough battleground districts in Southern California and the Central Valley to help the national party win a majority.Grant Stringer, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Thus, consumption of THCV can be beneficial for those who struggle with weight gain and/or food craving.Tribune Content Agency, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
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Historians are struggling to recover their inexpressible secrets.Erin Maglaque, The New York Review of Books, 15 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Once the road trip ends, Bronny will be shuffling between the G-League and the main Lakers roster.David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Nov. 2024
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These relationships shuffle among the large, contentious staff — Mexican, white, Italian, black, Muslim, Albanian, and Dominican, a panoply of types whose individuality keeps the action lively, timely, yet unpredictable.Armond White, National Review, 30 Oct. 2024
Verb
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After wide receiver Courtland Sutton fumbled at the goal line, the Panthers marched down the field on a 10-play, 98-yard scoring drive, which ended with Young finding Coker for a 15-yard touchdown pass.Ryan McFadden, The Denver Post, 29 Oct. 2024
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Even in that moment, he got stuck on a couple of words and fumbled the line.ABC NEWS, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2024
Noun
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The Sharks scored first at Madison Square Garden but couldn’t overcome their mistakes in the latter half of the second, allowing three unanswered goals in less than five minutes in a frustrating 3-2 loss to the Rangers in the third game of a four-game road trip.Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 14 Nov. 2024
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As the holiday season approaches, Jordan is turning his mistake into positive action by using his newfound notoriety to help drive donations to the Rocky Hill Human Services Food Bank, his police department said on social media.Gabriella Rudy, NBC News, 12 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Bananas is the first to take the tumble into the water, undoubtedly bruising his gladiator-size ego.Emma Sharpe, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2024
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Despite the box office tumble, Maoyan suggests that there are some bright spots.Patrick Frater, Variety, 8 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Nations slip their bonds If Musk is right that Trump will deliver a new order, and Dugin is right that the globalists have lost, then dusk now falls on that American Century.Andreas Kluth, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
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Pulling on his heartstrings works, and Darnell backs down but not without a last word: If Jabari’s grades start slipping, the fight is back on.Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Instead of stomping their feet, her parents could simply say her name.Dana Hunsinger Benbow, The Indianapolis Star, 7 Oct. 2024
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Dinosaurs stomp past, ice ages come and go, indigenous people hunt for food.David Fear, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near stumble
Cite this Entry
“Stumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumble. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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