stumble
verb (used without object)
to strike the foot against something, as in walking or running, so as to stagger or fall; trip.
stumbling
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present participleof stumble.present participle
A verb form that is used in progressive verb constructions and may also function as a modifier or a gerund.
-
a word derived from
stumble.
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.
"I was a party planner for over 10 years and ... I was very sustainably focused. The final stumbling block for me was the balloon waste," she told AFP.
From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026
In August 1967, my future wife and I found ourselves stumbling over rocks from the walls that weeks earlier had divided east and west Jerusalem.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
Fisherman and free-diver Giacomo De Mola described stumbling across the historic vessel while surveying the seabed near Mazara del Vallo.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
After stumbling, the Nasdaq accelerated, with its gain in Bespoke’s indexed series reaching 592.5% in March 2000.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
Dispirited and battleworn, carrying their fallen leader, the maimed and wounded hobbled painfully along at the rear, the bitter ashes of vanquishment and defeat mingling with the dust from their stumbling vanguard.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
