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
The nearest Portugal defender stumbled as the ball came to Pulisic just in front of the 6-yard box.
—
Michael Cunningham, AJC.com, 1 Apr. 2026
James, the Army veteran from Phoenix, had stumbled across it one night last June, while his wife slept.
—Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
And as the Bulls racked up double-digit losing streaks and stumbled out of playoff contention this season, Giddey found his patience wearing thin.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
But then in 2021, Harter-Berg stumbled upon something special while looking through some of Ryan’s old things.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia stumbled early in Friday’s season opener against the Atlanta Braves.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2026
The looks-maxxers have stumbled into a similar set of psychological conditions by dint of socioeconomic circumstances and social media.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
His partner, suffering from severe head lacerations and five broken ribs and unable to get the two-way radio working, stumbled two miles to the nearest dwelling and was then driven to the nearest phone.
—Dave Duffey, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2026
The Ticket The numbers favor Dallas It’s been a while since the Stars have stumbled against the Devils.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 23 Mar. 2026
Michael Cunningham, AJC.com, 1 Apr. 2026
James, the Army veteran from Phoenix, had stumbled across it one night last June, while his wife slept.
—Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
And as the Bulls racked up double-digit losing streaks and stumbled out of playoff contention this season, Giddey found his patience wearing thin.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
But then in 2021, Harter-Berg stumbled upon something special while looking through some of Ryan’s old things.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia stumbled early in Friday’s season opener against the Atlanta Braves.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2026
The looks-maxxers have stumbled into a similar set of psychological conditions by dint of socioeconomic circumstances and social media.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
His partner, suffering from severe head lacerations and five broken ribs and unable to get the two-way radio working, stumbled two miles to the nearest dwelling and was then driven to the nearest phone.
—Dave Duffey, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2026
The Ticket The numbers favor Dallas It’s been a while since the Stars have stumbled against the Devils.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 23 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumbled
Verb
-
Floorboards were milled from walnut trees felled at a construction site in North Carolina.—
Adriane Quinlan,
Curbed,
2 Apr. 2026
-
With a hollow interior trunk, Stumpy was among 158 trees felled in 2024 as part of a project aimed at shoring up a sea wall near the National Mall.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC news,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Severino struggled with his control, walking five and throwing just 49 of his 91 pitches for strikes before he was lifted after 3 1/3 innings.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The national team, called the Leopards, struggled as the country’s domestic league operated without support from sponsors or government funding.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
After the offense was shut out on four hits in Tuesday night’s 2-0 loss to the Angels, Counsell shuffled the lineup.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Instead, Meyerson was shuffled to three different ALFs in six months — from Hialeah to Kendall to Homestead.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Storm had the Inter&Co Stadium crowd of 11,127 people on their feet early after Columbus fumbled the opening kickoff and safety Josh Minkins jumped on it to give the Storm their initial possession inside the 30-yard line.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2026
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As the years went by, judges complained that the city’s in-house lawyers had fumbled key casework.—
Joe Mahr,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The explosion tripped two electrical boxes not far away, Smith said, causing wires to detach from a power pole, which fell onto a minivan that became engulfed in flames.—
Jason Rantala,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Decades ago, Gambel’s quail were so numerous that residents tripped over them.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Back in the team after injury, Neuer made strong saves in the first half but blundered for Freiburg's second, leaping out of his goal to palm a corner straight to Freiburg striker Lucas Höler for an easy second.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The growing political noise raises questions about whether Netflix, which has had one of the cleanest business strategies and investment stories in media, blundered into its first big M&A swing.—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents stomped around here like rabid Goths wearing bearskin vests.—
Joe Soucheray,
Twin Cities,
28 Mar. 2026
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Frustration boiled over on the Huskies’ sideline as Hurley stomped his foot and earned a technical foul from referee James Breeding with 12 and a half minutes left in the half.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The story began on March 24, when a hiker slipped and fell from a 180-foot waterfall in wild New Zealand bush.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
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And, as prices slipped below key levels like $5,000, selling pressure picked up quickly, driven less by a major change in fundamentals and more by positioning.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stumbled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumbled. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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