stumbled; stumbling
ˈstəm-b(ə-)liŋ 
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
Examples of stumble in a Sentence
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
Recent Examples on the Web
Don Riddell, CNN, 10 Mar. 2025
The main character, a married artist in her mid-forties, sets out from her Los Angeles home, stumbles into a psychosexual dynamic with a young rental-car attendee, and decides to remodel a motel room into a love nest.
—Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2025
And Hulu’s stumble on Sunday was not the first among similar endeavors from today’s biggest streaming platforms.
—Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Chicago Tribune, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stumble
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Verb
Everything will then be sold – unless he’s stumbled across a famous ball.
—Don Riddell, CNN, 10 Mar. 2025
The main character, a married artist in her mid-forties, sets out from her Los Angeles home, stumbles into a psychosexual dynamic with a young rental-car attendee, and decides to remodel a motel room into a love nest.
—Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
Noun
The outage marks Oracle’s latest stumble in a thorny, yearslong EHR rollout with the VA, which has been marred by patient safety concerns.
—Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2025
And Hulu’s stumble on Sunday was not the first among similar endeavors from today’s biggest streaming platforms.
—Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Chicago Tribune, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stumble
Cite this Entry
“Stumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stumble. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
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