as in muttering
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Examples Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumbling
Verb
-
Clearly, this only constitutes a small blip as things stand and hardly a sign everything is falling apart.—
Simon Johnson,
The Athletic,
31 Dec. 2024 -
The Sacramento Kings have made a major organizational move after their fourth straight loss falling them to a 13-18 record.—
Evan Sidery,
Forbes,
31 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
But because of passenger complaints and the need to revitalize a struggling tourist economy, the government adopted new regulations last month that will force a change in these habits.—
Natasha Frost,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2025
-
In those 1930s films, the fast-talking lovers and schemers acknowledged the struggling world around them, if quietly (few films beyond Gold Diggers of 1933 made explicit reference to economic turmoil).—
Eric Kohn,
The Hollywood Reporter,
6 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
But the $12 billion decline in his fortune has more to do with asset shuffling than stock price movement.—
Julie Goldenberg,
Forbes,
21 Dec. 2024
-
James has been shuffling back and forth between the NBA and the G League.—
Benedict Cosgrove,
Newsweek,
19 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Don't Use An Extension Cord In general, extension cords aren't a great idea because of the tripping hazard and the potential for overheating.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
5 Jan. 2025
-
For older people with weaker bones, tripping while walking can sometimes cause a fracture.—
Maggie Aime, MSN,
Health,
25 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
After easily stopping Thanos and Nam-gyu from curb-stomping Ming-gyu at lunch, In-ho earns a lot of people’s respect.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
26 Dec. 2024
-
In a similar vein, Malloy’s musical score is almost anonymously eclectic — wistful ballads, stomping pop, a smattering of EDM — but threaded through with enough strains of Russian folk and klezmer to suggest a sense of place.—
Houman Barekat,
New York Times,
23 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Harrison took Georgia’s second-half kickoff all the way to the end zone, slipping a tackle near the middle of the field, cutting toward the right sideline and outrunning everyone.—
Brett Martel,
The Denver Post,
2 Jan. 2025
-
By 1980, amid double-digit inflation, spiraling gas prices, and Ayatollah Khomeini’s revolution in Iran, the United States was slipping into another recession.—
Eric Berger,
Ars Technica,
30 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Then came Ukraine’s Maidan revolution in 2013, when tens of thousands of Ukrainians filled Kyiv’s Maidan square for days before toppling the pro-Russia regime.—
Howard LaFranchi,
The Christian Science Monitor,
30 Dec. 2024
-
The flower stem can grow to be two to three feet tall or more, often making the plant somewhat top-heavy, so staking or weighing down the container can help prevent the pot from toppling over.—
Janet Carson,
arkansasonline.com,
30 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
During Trump’s first presidency, brands were hesitant to partner with creators who were overtly political or pro-Trump.—
Taylor Lorenz,
Rolling Stone,
20 Jan. 2025
-
However, in the past, teams have been hesitant to take running backs very high.—
Steve Bradshaw,
Forbes,
19 Jan. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Thesaurus Entries Near stumbling
Cite this Entry
“Stumbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumbling. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share