stumble

noun

/ˈstʌmbl/

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(informal) a problem or temporary failure when you are on the way to achieving something
- There were good reasons for the team's first-round stumble against Los Angeles.
Topics Difficulty and failurec2
an act of falling or almost falling, especially because you hit your foot against something
- After a slight stumble backwards, he regained his balance.
a mistake that causes you to stop when you are reading, speaking or playing music
- verbal stumbles

verb

/ˈstʌmbl/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they stumble	/ˈstʌmbl/ /ˈstʌmbl/
he / she / it stumbles	/ˈstʌmblz/ /ˈstʌmblz/
past simple stumbled	/ˈstʌmbld/ /ˈstʌmbld/
past participle stumbled	/ˈstʌmbld/ /ˈstʌmbld/
-ing form stumbling	/ˈstʌmblɪŋ/ /ˈstʌmblɪŋ/

Phrasal Verbs

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[intransitive] to hit your foot against something while you are walking or running and almost fall synonym trip
- The child stumbled and fell.
- stumble over/on something I stumbled over a rock.
Extra Examples
- She stumbled a little on the uneven path.
- (figurative) The economy stumbled badly at the end of 2000.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- almost
- nearly
- a little
- …
preposition
- down
- from
- into
- …
phrases
- stumble over the/your words
- stumble to your feet
adverb
- accidentally
- by chance
- unwittingly
- …
See full entry
[intransitive] + adv./prep. to walk or move in an unsteady way
- Max stumbled out of bed sleepily.
- We were stumbling around in the dark looking for a candle.
Extra Examples
- The old man stumbled out into the night.
- He stumbled drunkenly across the road.
- Half asleep, she stumbled into the bathroom.
- They stumbled over the field.
- The train stopped, and several passengers stumbled to their feet.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- almost
- nearly
- a little
- …
preposition
- down
- from
- into
- …
phrases
- stumble over the/your words
- stumble to your feet
adverb
- accidentally
- by chance
- unwittingly
- …
See full entry
[intransitive] stumble (over/through something) to make a mistake or mistakes and stop while you are speaking, reading to somebody or playing music
- In her nervousness she stumbled over her words.
- I stumbled through the piano piece with difficulty.
Topics Languagec2

Word OriginMiddle English (as a verb): from Old Norse, from the Germanic base of stammer.