as in muttering
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1
as in falling
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in struggling
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 shuffling
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 fumbling
to make a mistake
that network announcer rarely stumbles when he's on the air
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stumbling
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
1 July 2026
There's been some stumbling plays, thwarted by tripping and dramatic falls.
—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
27 June 2026
Some viewers are surprised to learn that climate change is only one piece of the puzzle, while others have never seen a healthy coral ecosystem before stumbling across one of her videos.
—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
26 June 2026
Hotel security believed Zimmerman was intoxicated before his show during soundcheck, reportedly falling and stumbling onstage, throwing microphones, tossing cymbals, knocking over parts of his drum kit, swinging a guitar, and more.
—
Peter Burditt,
USA Today,
25 June 2026
Gane finished off Pereira in the second round to win the title on Sunday after sending him stumbling with a right jab followed by a hammer fist.
—
ABC News,
17 June 2026
But stumbling into a town with a visual landscape that still shows Guedes' thumbprint was a delight.
—
Matt Ozug,
NPR,
17 June 2026
Bryan’s stumbling responses, under questioning from the legendary defense lawyer Clarence Darrow, left him humiliated.
—
Michael Luo,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
Before smartphones and social media, tracking it down (or stumbling upon it) was like uncovering a local secret.
—
Skye Sherman,
Southern Living,
12 June 2026
Verb
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has also fallen foul of Germany’s World Cup elimination by Paraguay, after stumbling into a social media debacle following a communications blunder.
—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
1 July 2026
There's been some stumbling plays, thwarted by tripping and dramatic falls.
—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
27 June 2026
Some viewers are surprised to learn that climate change is only one piece of the puzzle, while others have never seen a healthy coral ecosystem before stumbling across one of her videos.
—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
26 June 2026
Hotel security believed Zimmerman was intoxicated before his show during soundcheck, reportedly falling and stumbling onstage, throwing microphones, tossing cymbals, knocking over parts of his drum kit, swinging a guitar, and more.
—
Peter Burditt,
USA Today,
25 June 2026
Gane finished off Pereira in the second round to win the title on Sunday after sending him stumbling with a right jab followed by a hammer fist.
—
ABC News,
17 June 2026
But stumbling into a town with a visual landscape that still shows Guedes' thumbprint was a delight.
—
Matt Ozug,
NPR,
17 June 2026
Bryan’s stumbling responses, under questioning from the legendary defense lawyer Clarence Darrow, left him humiliated.
—
Michael Luo,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
Before smartphones and social media, tracking it down (or stumbling upon it) was like uncovering a local secret.
—
Skye Sherman,
Southern Living,
12 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumbling
Adjective
-
However, despite a stellar rotation and lineup, a faltering bullpen could derail the Dodgers' World Series hopes, potentially leading to roster moves if performance doesn't improve.
-
Voters in the once-reliable Labor stronghold of Makerfield handed Burnham nearly 55% of the vote, rebuking both Starmer’s faltering government and surging right-wing challenger Reform UK.
Verb
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The report will also provide insight into whether American workers’ paychecks are falling further behind inflation.
-
But Musk fell short of the yearly 5% minimum the IRS legally requires his foundation to give away, after falling roughly $423 million short in 2023.
Verb
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Trump taking the country to war with Iran, in part at the urging of his pal Bibi — without any sensible plan, debate, sanction from Congress or consideration as to how this might hurt Americans already struggling to make ends meet.
-
The rules were altered in 2004 at the urging of Algeria, which was struggling to field a competitive national team with wholly domestic players and saw dozens of better prospects from the diaspora living in France.
Verb
-
Enola dutifully trudges between clues and possibilities, shuffling through crime scenes and racing around shady spaces, all of this much more paint-by-numbers than connect-the-dots.
-
Colombia is trying its luck from distance, but Costa has been equal to each shot, first punching away Jefferson Lerma's rocket from the right, about 25 yards out, and then shuffling his feet to his left and catching Jhon Arias's shot from about the same distance.
Verb
-
My first few hours with the EM11 NL were marked by overshooting links, fumbling through simple selections, and occasionally wondering why anyone would voluntarily use a vertical mouse.
-
Bennett is concerned, for instance, that Hong could win her primary and then be defeated in November by Republican Tom Tiffany, fumbling the governorship of a swing state into the hands of a far-right Freedom Caucus member who dabbled in 2020 election conspiracy theories.
Adjective
-
Their biggest bats were sputtering, too.
-
This one required extra innings and undid a late surge by their sputtering offense.
Verb
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Neural pathways controlling core bodily functions — feeling in the limbs, movement and breathing — were collapsing one by one, like circuit breakers tripping in rapid succession.
-
The primary question is whether this crowded field of new entrants is actually accomplishing anything, or whether its members are simply tripping over one another with deleterious impact.
Verb
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Earlier this year, two Serve Robotics machines were spotted blundering into the middle of a police incident while cops apprehended a man who appeared to be having a mental health crisis.
-
When the toys use messaging apps to control their owners in ways that go terrifyingly unnoticed, humankind itself seems to be blundering about with its brain unplugged.
Cite this Entry
“Stumbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumbling. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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