1
as in to fall
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to struggle
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually
stumbled twice while she was reciting the "Gettysburg Address"
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3
as in to shuffle
to move heavily or clumsily
the tipsy revelers left the path and wearily stumbled through the tangled undergrowth
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4
as in to fumble
to make a mistake
that network announcer rarely stumbles when he's on the air
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1
as in mistake
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy
was his hurtful remark a regrettable stumble, or was it made with artful intention?
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of stumble
Joel Mathis, theweek, 9 Dec. 2024
Avoiding expensive areas While some young Americans, like Craig, stumble on opportunities or get lucky otherwise, others have simply set their sights on something other than ownership.
—Andrea Riquier, USA TODAY, 6 Dec. 2024
Brian Slodysko, Chicago Tribune, 5 Nov. 2024
Recovering in the hospital after a distracted stumble into traffic, Garfield’s Tobias meets the apologetic woman who struck him with her vehicle: Almut (Florence Pugh), a talented and fiercely ambitious chef.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stumble 
Verb
By Joel Mathis, The Week US published 9 December 2024
Nearly three years after the invasion of Ukraine, Russia's economy is stumbling.
—Joel Mathis, theweek, 9 Dec. 2024
Avoiding expensive areas While some young Americans, like Craig, stumble on opportunities or get lucky otherwise, others have simply set their sights on something other than ownership.
—Andrea Riquier, USA TODAY, 6 Dec. 2024
Noun
Once a pivotal battleground, Florida’s political DNA has been altered by organizational stumbles by Democrats along with demographic shifts.
—Brian Slodysko, Chicago Tribune, 5 Nov. 2024
Recovering in the hospital after a distracted stumble into traffic, Garfield’s Tobias meets the apologetic woman who struck him with her vehicle: Almut (Florence Pugh), a talented and fiercely ambitious chef.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stumble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumble
Verb
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The nearly 300-mile trek from Atlanta was pivotal in showing the Confederacy was falling apart as Sherman’s troops gutted much of the key slave state.Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 11 Dec. 2024
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Broocks noted that the Sandy Hook lawsuit judgments could be overturned in pending appeals and got Murray to acknowledge that the Sandy Hook families' offer in The Onion bid could fall apart if that happens.CBS News, CBS News, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Her services are rooted in an experiential understanding of the matter, having served as a high-flying attorney for over two decades and struggling with burnout herself.Hilary Tetenbaum, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024
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First United will also host a Blue Christmas service for those who are struggling with grief or loss during the holidays at 10 a.m. Dec. 19, in its sanctuary, 439 E. Fifth Ave. Details: 352-383-2005 or mtdorafumc.org.Orlando Sentinel Staff, Orlando Sentinel, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
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In other words, the 2023 offseason was the Celtics' last real shot to shuffle their supporting cast around Brown and Tatum.Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
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In addition, both received the Order of the British Empire in different years (2003 and 2017, respectively), and some tabloid media are shuffling the possibility of their knighthood.Nuria Luis, Glamour, 4 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Taylor started Indy’s unraveling by fumbling away a would-be 41-yard touchdown early in the third quarter that would’ve given Indianapolis a 20-7 lead.Nick Kosmider, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
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That’s what Matt Stafford did after fumbling through the start of the game.Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 12 Dec. 2024
Noun
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In my experience, companies with strong safety capabilities typically have robust systems and processes that identify risks, are willing and able to learn from mistakes and proactively build resilience against the unexpected.Andreza Araujo, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
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But getting the technology to follow open-ended commands reliably remains a challenge, with the risk that errors could translate into costly and hard-to-undo mistakes.Will Knight, WIRED, 11 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The strikes represent a fresh headache for Europe’s largest automaker, which saw operating profit for the first nine months of the year tumble by a fifth, as its flagship brand struggled.Hanna Ziady, CNN, 2 Dec. 2024
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Its longevity is especially heartening in the streaming era, when many rap releases take massive tumbles the week after their equally massive debuts.Justin Curto, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined for a fourth day, slipping 0.35%.Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2024
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Instead, it's recommended to hang Christmas lights using a ladder to reduce the risk of accidentally slipping, tripping, or falling from the roof.Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The victim was stabbed in the neck and chest, and was repeatedly punched, kicked and stomped in the apartment on Grand Concourse near E.144th St., the DA stated.Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 5 Dec. 2024
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Last week, Wisconsin stomped the Scarlet Knights for 309 rushing yards.Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 18 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near stumble
Cite this Entry
“Stumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumble. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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