stumble across/on/onto/upon

idiom

: to find or learn about (something) unexpectedly
I stumbled across/on/upon this book by chance.
We stumbled onto/across the ruins of an old fort.
They stumbled on/upon a bizarre plot.
He stumbled onto the truth.

Examples of stumble across/on/onto/upon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Coogler’s villains are white songcatchers who stumble onto the joint and rapidly grasp the future cultural resonance of the acoustic chops the film’s lead, Sammie (Miles Caton), is honing. Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2025 The show, aimed at 4-8s, follows the adventures of two imaginative siblings who stumble upon VR headsets that take them to Storyland, a world built on iconic stories from Indian mythology and folklore. Max Goldbart, Deadline, 22 Apr. 2025 The new Al Hajjaj film is a screwball comedy, following two feuding Saudi paramedics who stumble upon a briefcase containing Saudi Arabian Riyal 2 million ($533,300) and become unwittingly entangled in a high-stakes kidnapping and ransom plot. Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 18 Apr. 2025 However, the majority of bear encounters pass without incident — and most attacks occur when those in the backcountry stumble upon a grizzly by accident. Johnny Dodd, People.com, 30 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stumble across/on/onto/upon

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stumble across/on/onto/upon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stumble%20across%2Fon%2Fonto%2Fupon. Accessed 1 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!