1
as in falls
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 struggles
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 shuffles
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 fumbles
to make a mistake
that network announcer rarely stumbles when he's on the air
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in mistakes
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
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Recent Examples of stumbles
Richard Menger Md Mpa, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Daniel, meanwhile, stumbles upon Laura's phone, which fell under a side table during her fight with Cherry, and listens to the recording of Cherry's mom, Tracey (Karen Henthorn), warning that her daughter is darker and more vengeful than Daniel ever knew.
—Julia Moore, People.com, 11 Sep. 2025
As first reported by Deadline, the plot follows a boy who stumbles upon a secret late-night broadcast of lizards playing otherworldly music, after which a hidden door to the extraordinary swings open.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Sep. 2025
The trio stumbles upon a crucial piece of evidence - and promptly compromises it.
—Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Grisham’s novel tells the story of Rudy Baylor, a fresh-out-of-law-school upstart who stumbles onto the case of a lifetime.
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
Expecting dull days and strict rules, the boy instead stumbles into a world of delightful chaos and imagination – where outrageous stories are spun, and a world of wonder, memory, and mischief unfolds.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
In 1972, Hannes (Enzo Brumm), a gangly farm boy adrift in a hedonistic haze of hormones and counterculture, stumbles upon a revelation through his contact with a love interest’s geranium.
—Leila Latif, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
The vault door is open and the city’s entire police force stumbles upon Batista’s body, Prater’s trophies and most importantly, the file on the New York Ripper, whose identity unfortunately remains a mystery… for now.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 5 Sep. 2025
Aleksandra Bal, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
The lawsuit marks the latest in a series of stumbles at Verily, which, despite raising more than $1 billion from investors, has struggled to latch onto a winning product.
—Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2025
That’s when his age showed in physical and verbal stumbles.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2025
That's when his age showed in physical and verbal stumbles.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
In the second installment of the franchise, Odenkirk returns as Hutch Mansell, the mild-mannered suburban husband and dad with a dark past stumbles into trouble while taking his family on vacation.
—William Lee, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2025
Sweetgreen’s stumbles have reinforced doubts about whether premium salad chains can thrive in today’s value-conscious dining environment, especially as hybrid work saps the desk-lunch crowd and consumers search for more affordable options.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2025
Verb
Yet, when a star athlete—the rival who excels at everything—finally stumbles in a sport, a subtle surge of neurological pleasure briefly ignites.
—Richard Menger Md Mpa, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Daniel, meanwhile, stumbles upon Laura's phone, which fell under a side table during her fight with Cherry, and listens to the recording of Cherry's mom, Tracey (Karen Henthorn), warning that her daughter is darker and more vengeful than Daniel ever knew.
—Julia Moore, People.com, 11 Sep. 2025
As first reported by Deadline, the plot follows a boy who stumbles upon a secret late-night broadcast of lizards playing otherworldly music, after which a hidden door to the extraordinary swings open.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Sep. 2025
The trio stumbles upon a crucial piece of evidence - and promptly compromises it.
—Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Grisham’s novel tells the story of Rudy Baylor, a fresh-out-of-law-school upstart who stumbles onto the case of a lifetime.
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
Expecting dull days and strict rules, the boy instead stumbles into a world of delightful chaos and imagination – where outrageous stories are spun, and a world of wonder, memory, and mischief unfolds.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
In 1972, Hannes (Enzo Brumm), a gangly farm boy adrift in a hedonistic haze of hormones and counterculture, stumbles upon a revelation through his contact with a love interest’s geranium.
—Leila Latif, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
The vault door is open and the city’s entire police force stumbles upon Batista’s body, Prater’s trophies and most importantly, the file on the New York Ripper, whose identity unfortunately remains a mystery… for now.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
Starting Smart, Not Big The journey from understanding AI concepts to actually implementing them is where the first stumbles often occur.
—Aleksandra Bal, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
The lawsuit marks the latest in a series of stumbles at Verily, which, despite raising more than $1 billion from investors, has struggled to latch onto a winning product.
—Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2025
That’s when his age showed in physical and verbal stumbles.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2025
That's when his age showed in physical and verbal stumbles.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
In the second installment of the franchise, Odenkirk returns as Hutch Mansell, the mild-mannered suburban husband and dad with a dark past stumbles into trouble while taking his family on vacation.
—William Lee, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2025
Sweetgreen’s stumbles have reinforced doubts about whether premium salad chains can thrive in today’s value-conscious dining environment, especially as hybrid work saps the desk-lunch crowd and consumers search for more affordable options.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumbles
Verb
-
Fall foliage appears when leaves change from green to yellow, orange, and red, then falls from the trees, said Brandon Fuller, a doctoral candidate and lecturer in the biology department at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC).—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
-
If the neighbor is smoking weed on private property doesn’t belong to them or their neighbor, Rosenthal said the responsibility to take action falls on the landlord.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In recent decades, as China has laid down vast networks of high-speed rail and thrown up shimmering cities, Americans have developed a deepening sense that their own country struggles to get things done.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
-
He was sacked six times by a team that struggles to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks.—
Steve Silverman,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Gakpo is deeper, and Wirtz pushes forward as the central member of Liverpool’s forward line, while Ekitike shuffles across as the left of the trio.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Because global air travel shuffles millions of people around the world daily, an outbreak of a very contagious disease anywhere can become a threat everywhere.—
Amy E. Stambach,
The Conversation,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Lake Mary’s O’Shea Faison fumbles after picking up the first down yardage.—
Buddy Collings,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Rinzel has already been hit up by some of the other prospects for his perspective on rookie camp, on the climb to the NHL and the developmental process, on how to play with aggression and the confidence to make plays rather than with hesitation and the fear of making mistakes.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
-
If the Wildcats cut back on their mistakes.—
Jon Wilner,
Mercury News,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
According to Burlison, the video shows a high-speed object—presumably the missile—hitting the orb, which then deforms, tumbles, and sheds smaller fragments, one barely visible.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Water tumbles from cliffs like silk ribbons with Staubbach Falls drifting beside charming chalets trimmed in geraniums.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Several videos begin with Taddese’s friend, who wore a white shirt and gray pants, pushing a persondown as that individual trips him.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
12 Sep. 2025
-
In Bora Bora, trips with Bora Diving Center (by Eleuthera) are another good bet for seeing mantas and schooling eagle rays within the famous lagoon.—
Terry Ward,
AFAR Media,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
During interviews for an in-depth Fortune story on KDP published in June, Cofer detailed his strategy for expanding margins and achieving high growth in soft drinks, a field that overall just trudges forward.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
26 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stumbles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumbles. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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