stumble
verb (used without object)
to strike the foot against something, as in walking or running, so as to stagger or fall; trip.
stumbled
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past participleof stumble.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof stumble.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
stumbleverb (used without object)to strike the foot against something, as in walking or running, so as to stagger or fall; trip.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Speaking to the individual over the phone, he seemed "vague in location and stumbled on his words", but Robinson did not initially doubt an image he sent of Cookie outside a window.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
Palantir Technologies’ stock stumbled on Tuesday despite the software company reporting its first quarterly revenue of over $2 billion.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026
I am disinclined, however, to judge too harshly those who cling to the vision of Israel as an exceptional nation — one that has stumbled, perhaps, but may yet regain its true path.
From Salon ● Nov. 2, 2026
Americans have been enchanted by sequoias since the 1850s, when a guy chasing a bear stumbled across the biggest tree he had ever seen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
I stumbled through the half-landscaped lot to the back.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
