1
as in fell
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 struggled
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 shuffled
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 fumbled
to make a mistake
that network announcer rarely stumbles when he's on the air
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stumbled
Love Island had shifted what had previously been an unshakable self-identification and stumbled into comic profundity.
—
Anna Peele, Vulture, 20 May 2026
The Dodgers might have stumbled upon a way to keep Shohei Ohtani performing well on the mound and at the plate this season.
—Michael Huntley, Oc Register, 17 May 2026
Vrabel, meanwhile, stumbled though multiple press conferences while trying to both avoid and explain the issue without ever really providing details.
—Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026
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
The Party stumbled to its worst result in the Scottish Parliament, and lost control of Welsh politics for the first time in a hundred years.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
Investigators suspect 16-year-old Star Grant and a 28-year-old accomplice killed the girl’s parents and grandmother on May 1 – six days before deputies stumbled onto the crime during a May 7 welfare check, the warrant states.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 13 May 2026
The chain had steady growth in 2024, but seems to have stumbled in California.
—Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Home Farm is a place with soul, and one that, once stumbled upon, feels like a treasure find.
—Sarah Leigh Bannerman, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 May 2026
Anna Peele, Vulture, 20 May 2026
The Dodgers might have stumbled upon a way to keep Shohei Ohtani performing well on the mound and at the plate this season.
—Michael Huntley, Oc Register, 17 May 2026
Vrabel, meanwhile, stumbled though multiple press conferences while trying to both avoid and explain the issue without ever really providing details.
—Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026
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
The Party stumbled to its worst result in the Scottish Parliament, and lost control of Welsh politics for the first time in a hundred years.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
Investigators suspect 16-year-old Star Grant and a 28-year-old accomplice killed the girl’s parents and grandmother on May 1 – six days before deputies stumbled onto the crime during a May 7 welfare check, the warrant states.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 13 May 2026
The chain had steady growth in 2024, but seems to have stumbled in California.
—Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Home Farm is a place with soul, and one that, once stumbled upon, feels like a treasure find.
—Sarah Leigh Bannerman, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumbled
Verb
-
But they were felled by poor shooting Friday, making just 35% overall and were particularly bad from long range.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
2 May 2026
-
But before he was felled at age 68 by a heart attack, Joiner had shared what was in the briefcase with the lead Louisiana State Police investigator on the case, Stefan Montgomery, Joiner's son and the LSP confirmed.—
Stephanie Gosk,
NBC news,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The promotion remains the sport’s undeniable leader, but has struggled to find a new generation of mainstream stars since Rousey and Conor McGregor in the 2010s.—
Mark Puleo,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
Advertisement Two more moderate candidates, state senator Sharif Street and pediatric surgeon Ala Stanford, split votes and struggled to catch fire.—
Julia Terruso,
Time,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Shielded by her team, Cardi B shuffled out to the street, a blob of black nylon.—
Jane Bua,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
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
Verb
-
The attempt to create a viable and vibrant residential hub arrives after years of neglect and fumbled strategies by the prior owner, an affiliate of Z&L Properties.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
19 May 2026
-
The city fumbled the rollout of the parks bond and now the residents are paying — in both money and exasperation, Inserra noted.—
Susannah Bryan,
Sun Sentinel,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
As the video below shows, Allen tripped Thompson and committed a foul.—
Bobby Burack OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
-
Warsh shares Miran's view that the Fed has gotten tripped in over analyzing micro-level prices, Warsh said at his April 21 confirmation hearing.—
Matt Peterson,Steve Liesman,
CNBC,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Rubio is the president’s top adviser on both national security and diplomacy at a moment when the United States has blundered into an unpopular war that appears to be a strategic catastrophe.—
David A. Graham,
The Atlantic,
11 May 2026
-
Padres fielders blundered in three of his outings.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Apr. 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
Verb
-
The farmer then slipped into a coma and only came out of it a few weeks later, with doctors calling him a miracle, per the BBC.—
Gina Kalsi,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
-
However, last season the singer quietly slipped into stadiums and attended every home game largely under the radar.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stumbled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumbled. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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