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
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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
The day after the earthquakes, some volunteers stumbled upon a 7-year-old boy named Mateo, shirtless and covered in debris, sitting by himself on a sidewalk in La Guaira.
—
Gisela Salim-Peyer,
The Atlantic,
1 July 2026
Scientists have stumbled on a rare dinosaur fossil from Antarctica, tucked away for decades in a drawer.
—
CBS News,
30 June 2026
After building a commanding lead while the Philadelphia Phillies stumbled through one of the worst stretches in franchise history, the Atlanta Braves appeared firmly in control of the division race.
—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
Scientists have stumbled on a rare dinosaur fossil from Antarctica, tucked away for decades in a drawer.
—
ABC News,
29 June 2026
However, Portugal stumbled in its opening match, managing only a 1–1 draw against the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
—
Tushaar Kuthiala,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
29 June 2026
When play began, Ryu stumbled with three bogeys in her first five holes.
—
Hugh Kellenberger,
New York Times,
28 June 2026
Once seen as the Fox News for the next generation of conservatives, the Daily Wire has stumbled over the last several years.
—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
23 June 2026
Through a connection, Jobs stumbled upon what was then the computer animation division of Star Wars creator George Lucas’ production company Lucasfilm and was immediately impressed, wrote Walter Isaacson in his biography of the Apple cofounder.
—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
22 June 2026
Gisela Salim-Peyer,
The Atlantic,
1 July 2026
Scientists have stumbled on a rare dinosaur fossil from Antarctica, tucked away for decades in a drawer.
—
CBS News,
30 June 2026
After building a commanding lead while the Philadelphia Phillies stumbled through one of the worst stretches in franchise history, the Atlanta Braves appeared firmly in control of the division race.
—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
Scientists have stumbled on a rare dinosaur fossil from Antarctica, tucked away for decades in a drawer.
—
ABC News,
29 June 2026
However, Portugal stumbled in its opening match, managing only a 1–1 draw against the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
—
Tushaar Kuthiala,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
29 June 2026
When play began, Ryu stumbled with three bogeys in her first five holes.
—
Hugh Kellenberger,
New York Times,
28 June 2026
Once seen as the Fox News for the next generation of conservatives, the Daily Wire has stumbled over the last several years.
—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
23 June 2026
Through a connection, Jobs stumbled upon what was then the computer animation division of Star Wars creator George Lucas’ production company Lucasfilm and was immediately impressed, wrote Walter Isaacson in his biography of the Apple cofounder.
—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
22 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumbled
Verb
-
That the forest below has not been felled but has swelled, along with its creatures, is hugely the work of Dharana’s owners, the de Souza family.
-
The most dangerous situation appeared to be on Barrington Avenue, west of East Dundee Village Hall, where a light, a utility pole and part of a parkway tree were felled by strong winds, leaving power lines dangling across the road.
Verb
-
Germany, whose 10 goals in the group stage were tied for the most of any team, struggled to find a way through Paraguay's 4-5-1 setup.
-
Even as her body struggled, Gifford noted her sense of humor never disappeared.
Verb
-
Sarah was sent to a mental hospital, and the boys were shuffled among family members, ending up with their penniless grandmother in Kentucky.
-
As soon as the game wrapped up, those guests shuffled out, and hours later were replaced by a rowdier group ordering shots at the bar, dancing to 2000s hits in front of the DJ booth and smoking vape pens on the outdoor patio.
Verb
-
But in her concentration, Porsha fumbled her words, which made the Faithfuls, who were desperate for a crumb of evidence so early in the game, suspicious of her sincerity.
-
Before that, Tampa Bay fumbled scoring opportunities in five of the first seven innings and stranded five overall.
Verb
-
Mysterio tripped Page onto the second rope, but Page cut off Rey Mysterio with a big boot as Rey attempted a 619.
-
The Kospi, half the value of which is made up of just two tech behemoths (SK Hynix and Samsung), tripped another circuit breaker Friday, leading to a 20-minute trading break.
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.
-
Padres fielders blundered in three of his outings.
Verb
-
On Monday night, a 39-year-old man wearing a Spurs jersey was stomped and punched after Game 3 while walking down West 47th Street, about 15 blocks from the arena.
-
It's been 33 years since Jurassic Park first stomped into theaters, and blockbusters haven't been the same since.
Verb
-
On Tuesday, French Open champion Alexander Zverev slipped worryingly on the baseline but was able to get straight back up.
-
The employment-to-population ratio slipped to 59% in June, the lowest since October 2021.
Cite this Entry
“Stumbled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumbled. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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