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
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stumble
Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 15 May 2026
Set during the summer of 1975, Sessa stars as a 19-year-old Bourdain who travels to Provincetown and stumbles into the chaotic world of a restaurant kitchen.
—Marc Malkin, Variety, 15 May 2026
ABC News, 4 May 2026
Streep’s second go-round, by contrast, unfolds as a series of micro-indignities—a plunge from her Olympian perch, one stumble at a time.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stumble
Verb
Just last year, robots in Beijing stumbled through a marathon with only six managing to cross the finish line in an almost comedic performance.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 15 May 2026
Set during the summer of 1975, Sessa stars as a 19-year-old Bourdain who travels to Provincetown and stumbles into the chaotic world of a restaurant kitchen.
—Marc Malkin, Variety, 15 May 2026
Noun
Tom Harkin, a former Democratic senator from Iowa, said Trump’s stumbles have created an opportunity for change.
—ABC News, 4 May 2026
Streep’s second go-round, by contrast, unfolds as a series of micro-indignities—a plunge from her Olympian perch, one stumble at a time.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stumble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumble
Verb
-
Only two were earned, but they were all deserved after Rodón fell apart in the third frame.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
17 May 2026
-
Chelsea’s squad demographic falls somewhere in between but is probably closer to the former than the latter, and a football legend with his resume should not encounter the authority problems faced by owner BlueCo’s previous hires.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
The two finished atop a crowded field that also featured Attorney General Chris Carr and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who both struggled to break through in a GOP contest overshadowed by the feud between the two front-runners.—
Greg Bluestein,
AJC.com,
20 May 2026
-
Mergers might encourage other states to offer similar programs as a way of funnelling more students into struggling four-year campuses.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Women in America’s boardrooms made strides as corporations shuffled their mostly White and male lineups in the face of the historic pushback in 2020.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
-
Tall soldiers in bearskin caps shuffled a few inches to the left, or right, to give the parade its proper visual proportions.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
The stress of getting to your airport gate on time, coupled with the excitement of getting to your destination, can cause even the most seasoned of travelers to fumble at security checkpoints.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
17 May 2026
-
Santillan appears to be fumbling away his opportunity, allowing nine runs (eight earned) over his last five appearances.—
Mike Barner,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Both Velez and Farbstein gave me the 411 on what traveler mistakes can back up the security line.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
17 May 2026
-
The third mistake is using wine that is not cold enough.—
Noel Burgess,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
The trick is sticking to fabrics that handle the rough-and-tumble of travel.—
Tanya Sharma,
PEOPLE,
13 May 2026
-
For deep cleanings, detach the rug cover from its pad, machine wash the cover separately in cold water using a mild, non-bleach detergent and tumble-dry on air fluff mode or lay flat.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
The pair will remain visible for a few hours after sunset, before slipping from view below the spring horizon.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
19 May 2026
-
Underlying profit, which strips out non-trading items, slipped 8% to $458 million.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Grgich stomped grapes at age 3.—
Mark Dent,
HubSpot,
15 May 2026
-
International researchers have officially identified Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis, a massive dinosaur that has stomped its way into the record books as the largest ever found in Southeast Asia.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumble. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
