stumble

1 of 2

verb

stum·​ble ˈstəm-bəl How to pronounce stumble (audio)
stumbled; stumbling ˈstəm-b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce stumble (audio)
Synonyms of stumblenext

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 How to pronounce stumble (audio)
noun
stumblingly
ˈstəm-b(ə-)liŋ-lē How to pronounce stumble (audio)
adverb

stumble

2 of 2

noun

: an act or instance of stumbling

Synonyms

Verb

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of stumble was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing stumble

Rhymes for stumble

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Browse Nearby Words

stumble
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Cite this Entry

“Stumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stumble. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

stumble

verb
stum·​ble
ˈstəm-bəl
stumbled; stumbling
-b(ə-)liŋ
1
: to trip in walking or running
2
a
: to walk unsteadily
b
: to speak or act in a hesitant or clumsy manner
3
: to come or happen unexpectedly or by chance
stumbled onto the ruins of an old fort
stumble noun
stumbler
-b(ə-)lər
noun
stumblingly
-b(ə-)liŋ-lē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on stumble

Nglish: Translation of stumble for Spanish Speakers

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