stumble
1 of 2verb
stum·ble ˈstəm-bəl 
stumbled; stumbling ˈstəm-b(ə-)liŋ
intransitive verb
1
a
: to fall into sin or waywardness
b
: to make an error : blunder
c
: to come to an obstacle to belief
2
: to trip in walking or running
3
a
: to walk unsteadily or clumsily
b
: to speak or act in a hesitant or faltering manner
4
a
: to come unexpectedly or by chance
stumble onto the truth
b
: to fall or move carelessly
transitive verb
1
: to cause to stumble : trip
2
: bewilder, confound
stumbler
ˈstəm-b(ə-)lər
noun stumblingly
ˈstəm-b(ə-)liŋ-lē
adverb stumble
2 of 2noun
: an act or instance of stumbling
Synonyms
Verb
- fall
- slip
- topple
- trip
- tumble
Noun
- blunder
- bobble
- boo-boo
- boob [British]
- brick
- clanger [British]
- clinker
- error
- fault
- flub
- fluff
- fumble
- gaff
- gaffe
- goof
- inaccuracy
- lapse
- miscue
- misstep
- mistake
- oversight
- screwup
- slip
- slipup
- trip
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb I stumbled on the uneven pavement. The horse stumbled and almost fell. He stumbled drunkenly across the room. He stumbled over to the table. I heard him stumble over the unfamiliar words. She stumbled through an apology. The economy has stumbled in recent months. Noun was his hurtful remark a regrettable stumble, or was it made with artful intention? has bones so brittle that a minor stumble could result in a serious break See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Expert Panel®, Forbes, 6 July 2022 But the dollar is quietly ticking higher again, and the market, sensing this, is beginning to stumble. Brett Owens, Forbes, 25 Aug. 2022 So absolute was Lubitsch’s mastery of the silent-film medium that he might have been expected to stumble with the introduction of sound. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2022 Before long, Ostin — who changed his last name because people seemed to stumble on Ostrofsky — was the company’s controller. Melissa Gomezstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 1 Aug. 2022 He’s not the first NBA superstar to stumble on the game’s biggest stage. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 17 June 2022 The price of tokens on projects like Anchor Protocol and Astroport, which are both built on UST's blockchain, have plummeted by 80% since UST started to stumble off its peg, according to CoinTelegraph. Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 12 May 2022 There is one last kick in the race to the Games, and no one wants to stumble now. New York Times, 23 Jan. 2022 But because these are treacherous times to stumble, to correct course, to try. Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2021 Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2022 And in an environment where one loss can ruin title dreams, Freeman knows Notre Dame can’t avoid an early stumble — even against the highly-touted Buckeyes and their hostile home crowd. John Fineran, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2022 Technology stocks, whose lofty values tend to give the broader market a harder push higher or lower, shook off an early stumble and gained ground. Damian J. Troise, ajc, 2 June 2022 His campaign hit a stumble when Mr. Cuellar’s Laredo home and campaign office were searched in January by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Aaron Zitner, WSJ, 22 Aug. 2022 If there’s a little partnering stumble, everyone goes over to help figure it out. Sarah L. Kaufman, Washington Post, 10 June 2022 But despite Netflix’s stock stumble, the streaming giant is expected to spend more this year than in years past. Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Apr. 2022 But a stumble down the stretch would keep UC out of the dance for the second-straight season. Keith Jenkins, The Enquirer, 9 Feb. 2022 As some of the biggest names in the ultra-fast delivery sector stumble, others are looking to gain ground. Sara Ashley O'brien, CNN, 25 July 2022 See More
Verb
Below, 15 members explain the best ways to turn users who stop by or stumble upon your blog into repeat visitors. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 6 July 2022 But the dollar is quietly ticking higher again, and the market, sensing this, is beginning to stumble. Brett Owens, Forbes, 25 Aug. 2022 So absolute was Lubitsch’s mastery of the silent-film medium that he might have been expected to stumble with the introduction of sound. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2022 Before long, Ostin — who changed his last name because people seemed to stumble on Ostrofsky — was the company’s controller. Melissa Gomezstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 1 Aug. 2022 He’s not the first NBA superstar to stumble on the game’s biggest stage. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 17 June 2022 The price of tokens on projects like Anchor Protocol and Astroport, which are both built on UST's blockchain, have plummeted by 80% since UST started to stumble off its peg, according to CoinTelegraph. Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 12 May 2022 There is one last kick in the race to the Games, and no one wants to stumble now. New York Times, 23 Jan. 2022 But because these are treacherous times to stumble, to correct course, to try. Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2021 Noun
An early stumble in Pac-12 play removes considerable luster from what was supposed to be a showdown against Utah. Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2022 And in an environment where one loss can ruin title dreams, Freeman knows Notre Dame can’t avoid an early stumble — even against the highly-touted Buckeyes and their hostile home crowd. John Fineran, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2022 Technology stocks, whose lofty values tend to give the broader market a harder push higher or lower, shook off an early stumble and gained ground. Damian J. Troise, ajc, 2 June 2022 His campaign hit a stumble when Mr. Cuellar’s Laredo home and campaign office were searched in January by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Aaron Zitner, WSJ, 22 Aug. 2022 If there’s a little partnering stumble, everyone goes over to help figure it out. Sarah L. Kaufman, Washington Post, 10 June 2022 But despite Netflix’s stock stumble, the streaming giant is expected to spend more this year than in years past. Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Apr. 2022 But a stumble down the stretch would keep UC out of the dance for the second-straight season. Keith Jenkins, The Enquirer, 9 Feb. 2022 As some of the biggest names in the ultra-fast delivery sector stumble, others are looking to gain ground. Sara Ashley O'brien, CNN, 25 July 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian dialect stumle to stumble
First Known Use
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a
Noun
1547, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing stumble
Kids Definition
stumble 1 of 2
verb
stum·ble ˈstəm-bəl
stumbled; stumbling
1
: to trip in walking, running, or dancing
2
: to walk unsteadily
She stumbled around in the dark.
3
: to speak or act in a clumsy manner
The student stumbled through his presentation.
4
: to come unexpectedly or accidentally
We stumbled onto a clue.
stumble
2 of 2noun
: an act or instance of tripping or walking unsteadily
stumbling 1 of 2
adjective
as in faltering
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- faltering
- mumbling
- muttering
- stuttering
- stammering
- halting
- sputtering
- hesitant
- maundering
- inarticulate
- voiceless
- tongue-tied
- unvocal
- tongueless
- mute
- speechless
- ineloquent
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- articulate
- fluent
- eloquent
- glib
- verbal
- facile
- voluble
- silver-tongued
- vocal
- outspoken
- expressive
- well-spoken
- smooth-tongued
stumbling
2 of 2verb
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
- falling
- tripping
- slipping
- tumbling
- toppling
- collapsing
- crashing
- sliding
- skidding
- plopping
- plunging
- dropping
- crumpling
- plummeting
- keeling
- plunking
- precipitating
- plonking
- flumping
- wiping out
- free-falling
- nose-diving
- slumping (over)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- rising
- standing (up)
- uprising
- getting up
2
as in struggling
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually stumbled twice while she was reciting the "Gettysburg Address" Synonyms & Similar Words
- struggling
- blundering
- shuffling
- floundering
- trudging
- lurching
- limping
- fumbling
- bumbling
- plodding
- jogging
- faltering
- lumbering
- swaying
- shambling
- tottering
- staggering
- reeling
- flogging
- muddling
- teetering
- wallowing
- weltering
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- gliding
- coasting
- flying
- zipping
- zooming
- sailing
- kilting
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
- shuffling
- stomping
- lurching
- floundering
- trudging
- shambling
- barging
- galumphing
- scuffling
- dragging
- pounding
- hauling
- sloughing
- staggering
- plodding
- clumping
- weaving
- scuffing
- stamping
- stumping
- tramping
- lumbering
- slogging
- lumping
- tromping
- swaying
- blundering
- flopping
- tottering
- waddling
- flogging
- wobbling
- reeling
- careening
- doddering
- teetering
- wabbling
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- sliding
- gliding
- coasting
- waltzing
- drifting
- floating
- hanging
- hovering
- whisking
- wafting
- breezing
- poising
4
as in fumbling
to make a mistake that network announcer rarely stumbles when he's on the air Synonyms & Similar Words
- fumbling
- tripping
- blundering
- nodding
- flubbing
- erring
- misunderstanding
- mistaking
- fluffing
- boobing
- slipping up
- screwing up
- bungling
- fouling up
- mangling
- lousing up
- botching
- bobbling
- misjudging
- dropping the ball
- laying an egg
- muffing
- butchering
- miscalculating
- murdering
- goofing (up)
- miscuing
- misconceiving
- miscounting
- foozling
- misinterpreting
- mishandling
- misdeeming
- messing (up)
- misconstruing
- misgauging
- misgaging