as in muttering
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1
as in falling
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in struggling
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 shuffling
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 fumbling
to make a mistake
that network announcer rarely stumbles when he's on the air
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of stumbling
Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
The Ducks started their trip up five points on Connor McDavid and company, but held just a three-point edge after stumbling 4-2 on Saturday.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 29 Mar. 2026
There was a lot of stumbling with the lines.
—Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 27 Mar. 2026
Shopping on Rue La La feels a lot like stumbling across a secret sale, with some of the very best deals on designer goods, including swoon-worthy handbags.
—Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 20 Mar. 2026
The bubble was the softest in recent memory, with one team after another stumbling late in the season.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
The club can continue stumbling through an awkward, uncertain moment.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2026
For a team that was once in NCAA tournament consideration before stumbling, that failure to finish was a persistent flaw.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
The first sign came when Deepanwita Dasgupta was 5 and started stumbling more while playing at her home in Bangalore in southern India.
—ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
Verb
Occasionally, King’s assistants, a pair of bulky guys with law-enforcement backgrounds, offered the stumbling line a corrective shove.
—Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
The Ducks started their trip up five points on Connor McDavid and company, but held just a three-point edge after stumbling 4-2 on Saturday.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 29 Mar. 2026
There was a lot of stumbling with the lines.
—Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 27 Mar. 2026
Shopping on Rue La La feels a lot like stumbling across a secret sale, with some of the very best deals on designer goods, including swoon-worthy handbags.
—Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 20 Mar. 2026
The bubble was the softest in recent memory, with one team after another stumbling late in the season.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
The club can continue stumbling through an awkward, uncertain moment.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2026
For a team that was once in NCAA tournament consideration before stumbling, that failure to finish was a persistent flaw.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
The first sign came when Deepanwita Dasgupta was 5 and started stumbling more while playing at her home in Bangalore in southern India.
—ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumbling
Verb
-
Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
-
All of this comes at a time when the market has greater appetite for larger scale deals, despite Lauder’s falling stock price.—
Kathryn Hopkins,
Footwear News,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In the poor quarters of New Delhi, households struggling to pay for gas fired up chulhas, old-school wood-burning stoves, and hoped their tinder supplies held.—
Nathan Heller,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Lillibridge says the prices are piling onto an already struggling industry.—
Lana Zak,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
These chips spend most of their energy shuffling data between a memory unit and a processor.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Mar. 2026
-
So what better way to cap all that off than closing out the Oscars — even if the clip played while the audience was shuffling out of the theater and calling their Ubers.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Nothing erodes confidence faster than fumbling for lockboxes, waiting on unresponsive listing agents, or showing a space that clearly doesn’t fit.—
Allen Buchanan,
Oc Register,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Last season’s Detroit Tigers endured the worst divisional collapse in history, fumbling an AL Central lead that reached 15 1/2 games in July.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Draghi’s report highlights several reasons why Europe’s competitiveness is faltering.—
Francesca Cassidy,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
-
That deal can't come soon enough for the president, as there are worrisome signs about the overall economy faltering due to the war, and even some Republicans are questioning his mission in the Middle East.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Right after Charlie Coyle began serving a tripping penalty, Alex Wennberg won a draw in the Blue Jackets zone back to Dmitry Orlov, who slid the puck over to Celebrini for a one-timer that beat Elvis Merzlikins 57 seconds into the third period.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Pittsburgh opened the third period on the power play with a two-man advantage after Ottawa took a late tripping penalty and got called early too many men.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Verizon never would have gotten the chance to buy Yahoo’s online operations if not for the company’s perpetual blundering under seven different CEOs in 16 years.—
Michael Liedtke,
Fortune,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Verizon never would have gotten the chance to buy Yahoo’s online operations if not for the company’s perpetual blundering under seven different CEOs in 16 years.—
Michael Liedtke,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Soon afterward, a Diplodocus was stomping through downtown Chicago and eating the tops off trees in Grant Park, the story said.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Slightly out of breath from stomping up the stairs, past the guests — who, as Daisy will tell Jason later, noticed something was up — Ellie tells Jason that Ben’s time mismanagement is setting her up to fail.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stumbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumbling. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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