stumble

[ stuhm-buhl ]

/ ˈstʌm bəl /

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See synonyms for: stumble / stumbled / stumbling / stumbler on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), stum·bled, stum·bling.

to strike the foot against something, as in walking or running, so as to stagger or fall; trip.

to walk or go unsteadily: to stumble down a dark passage.

to make a slip, mistake, or blunder, especially a sinful one: to stumble over a question; to stumble and fall from grace.

to proceed in a hesitating or blundering manner, as in action or speech (often followed by along).

to discover or meet with accidentally or unexpectedly (usually followed by on, upon, or across): They stumbled on a little village.

to falter or hesitate, as at an obstacle to progress or belief.

verb (used with object), stum·bled, stum·bling.

to cause to stumble; trip.

to give pause to; puzzle or perplex.

noun

the act of stumbling.

a moral lapse or error.

a slip or blunder.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

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Origin of stumble

1275–1325; Middle English stumblen; cognate with Norwegian stumla to grope and stumble in the dark; akin to stammer

OTHER WORDS FROM stumble

stumbler, nounstum·bling·ly, adverbun·stum·bling, adjective

Words nearby stumble

stukkend, stull, St. Ulmo's fire, stultify, stum, stumble, stumble across, stumblebum, stumbling block, stumer, stump

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use stumble in a sentence

The closest thing Rutgers has to a bad loss is a stumble at Michigan State.
NCAA tournament bracketology: After 30 years, Rutgers will get its chance at March Madness|Patrick Stevens|February 9, 2021|Washington Post
The metrics love Illinois, but it is a 9-5 team with a few stumbles at home.
NCAA tournament bracketology: The bubble might be worse than ever this year. No, really.|Patrick Stevens|January 20, 2021|Washington Post
Leaders in California and elsewhere have made similar stumbles.
Everyone failed on Covid-19|German Lopez|December 18, 2020|Vox
Naturally, Big Tech’s retrenchment has heightened the debate over whether its leaders are vastly overpriced and long overdue for a steep slide, or simply suffering a temporary stumble.
Will tech stocks stumble or slide? What the fundamentals tell us|Shawn Tully|September 16, 2020|Fortune

Jesse Marx and Lisa Halverstadt broke the news of Thompson’s departure and reviewed the list of stumbles that led to it.
Morning Report: With Building Folly, City Real Estate Director Out|Voice of San Diego|August 4, 2020|Voice of San Diego
At 5:00 a.m. the clubs get going properly; the Forbes stumble down from their loggias, grinning and swaying tipsily.
Russia’s Gold Digger Academy|Peter Pomerantsev|November 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A party that cannot make these decisions openly and confidently will stumble in 2016.
What Republicans Need Right Now Is a Good Internal Fight|James Poulos|November 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Meanwhile, the labor unions and liberal groups that nominally backed Cuomo could not be more thrilled to see him stumble.
Andrew Cuomo Can't Ignore It Now: He's Weak Even at Home|David Freedlander|September 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I stumble through interviews for my job at NY1, memories flooding back.
Gaza, You're No Good For My Marriage|Josh Robin|August 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At the end of the fourth season premiere, Arya and The Hound stumble upon a tavern in the woods.
Game of Thrones’ 8 Most Gruesome Deaths: From The Mountain’s Exploding Head Kill to Rat Torture|Marlow Stern|June 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
You never know when you are going to stumble upon a jewel in the most out-of-the-way corner.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
And very many of them shall stumble and fall, and shall be broken in pieces, and shall be snared, and taken.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
And he shall turn his face to the empire of his own land, and he shall stumble, and fall, ans shall not be found.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
I feel feverish: my feet drag heavily, and I stumble against the railing.
Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist|Alexander Berkman
These four years through which I may—must stumble along with my hands tied, are a fair example.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton

British Dictionary definitions for stumble

stumble

/ (ˈstʌmbəl) /

verb (intr)

to trip or fall while walking or running

to walk in an awkward, unsteady, or unsure way

to make mistakes or hesitate in speech or actions

(foll by across or upon) to come (across) by accident

to commit a grave mistake or sin

noun

a false step, trip, or blunder

the act of stumbling

Derived forms of stumble

stumbler, nounstumbling, adjectivestumblingly, adverb

Word Origin for stumble

C14: related to Norwegian stumla, Danish dialect stumle; see stammer

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

stumble

Origin of stumble

OTHER WORDS FROM stumble

Words nearby stumble

Words related to stumble

How to use stumble in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for stumble

Derived forms of stumble

Word Origin for stumble