tumble
Americanverb (used without object)
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tumbles,
present (3rd person singular)
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tumbled,
past participle, past
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tumbling
present participle
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to fall helplessly down, end over end, as by losing one's footing, support, or equilibrium; plunge headlong.
to tumble down the stairs.
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to roll end over end, as in falling.
The stones tumbled down the hill.
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to fall or decline rapidly; drop.
Prices on the stock market tumbled today.
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to perform gymnastic feats of skill and agility, as leaps or somersaults.
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to fall suddenly from a position of power or authority; suffer overthrow.
As one dictator tumbles, another is rising to take his place.
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to fall in ruins, as from age or decay; collapse; topple.
The walls of the old mansion tumbled down upon the intruders.
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to roll about by turning one way and another; pitch about; toss.
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to stumble or fall (usually followed byover ).
to tumble over a sled.
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to go, come, get, etc., in a hasty and confused way.
The people tumbled out of the theater. He tumbled hurriedly into his clothes.
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Informal. to understand or become aware of some fact or circumstance (often followed byto ).
He finally tumbled to what they were doing.
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Rocketry. (of a missile) to rotate without control end over end.
verb (used with object)
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tumbles,
present (3rd person singular)
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tumbled,
past participle, past
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tumbling
present participle
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to cause to fall or roll end over end; throw over or down.
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to throw or toss about; cause disarray, as in handling or searching.
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to put in a disordered or rumpled condition.
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to throw, cast, put, send, etc., in a precipitate, hasty, or rough manner.
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to cause to fall from a position of authority or power; overthrow; topple.
They tumbled him from his throne.
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to cause to fall or collapse in ruins.
The wreckers tumbled the walls of the building.
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to subject to the action of a tumbling box.
noun
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tumbles
plural
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an act of tumbling or falling.
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a gymnastic or acrobatic feat.
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an accidental fall; spill.
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a drop in value, as of stocks.
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a fall from a position of power or authority.
The great director took a tumble when he was replaced by a newcomer.
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a response indicating interest, affection, etc..
She wouldn't give me a tumble.
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tumbled condition; disorder or confusion.
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a confused heap.
a tumble of papers, ashes, pens, and keys on the desk.
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Chiefly New England. a haycock.
idioms
verb
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to fall or cause to fall, esp awkwardly, precipitately, or violently
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to roll or twist, esp in playing
the kittens tumbled about on the floor
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(intr) to perform leaps, somersaults, etc
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to go or move in a heedless or hasty way
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(tr) to polish (gemstones) in a tumbler
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(tr) to disturb, rumple, or toss around
to tumble the bedclothes
noun
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the act or an instance of tumbling
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a fall or toss
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an acrobatic feat, esp a somersault
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a decrease in value, number, etc
stock markets have taken a tumble
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a state of confusion
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a confused heap or pile
a tumble of clothes
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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tumblesimple
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tumblessimple
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have tumbledperfect
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has tumbledperfect
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am tumblingprogressive
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are tumblingprogressive
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is tumblingprogressive
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have been tumblingperfect progressive
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has been tumblingperfect progressive
Past
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tumbledsimple
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had tumbledperfect
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was tumblingprogressive
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were tumblingprogressive
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had been tumblingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of tumble
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English tum(b)len “to dance in acrobatic style” (cognate with Dutch tuimelen, Low German tummeln ), frequentative of Middle English tomben, Old English tumbian, (cognate with Old Norse tumba, akin to Old High German tūmōn “to reel” (perhaps from Old Low German ); compare French tomber “to fall,” from Germanic ); see -le
Explanation
When you tumble, you fall abruptly. You might trip over your shoelaces and tumble down a hill while flying a kite if you're not careful. To suddenly topple over or trip and fall to the ground is to tumble. Toddlers often tumble in sandboxes, while running on sidewalks, or as they climb down stairs. There's another way to tumble that is more deliberate: the form of gymnastics that involves roundoffs and back handsprings is called tumbling, and if you're able to do these tricks, you can tumble. The root is believed to be the Old English tumbian, "to dance about."
Vocabulary lists containing tumble
Going Down: Synonyms for "Fall"
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The Road to Freedom
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"The Tragedy of Hamlet," Vocabulary from Act 4
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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.
See Examples For:
Then we tumble into the realm of inspirational gurus and thought leaders, where breathwork and manifesting meet motivational speak, popping with familiar verbal kernels like “sparking joy” and “habit formation.”
From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026
So, there are loads of questions that tumble towards us after these donations.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
At the end of a topsy-turvy Saturday that saw the Big Ten’s top contenders tumble, Trent Mosley stood just inside USC’s 15-yard line, looking skyward.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
Meme coins carry no intrinsic value, and most tumble in price within days or even hours after their launch.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026
The words tumble out of my mouth before I’ve had the chance to think them through.
From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan
Comcast stock tumbles after its chief financial officer announces that broadband subscribers will drop in the fiscal third quarter.
From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026
A snow globe in his hand tumbles to the ground.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
ON Semiconductor tumbles after agreeing to acquire Synaptics for approximately $7 billion in an all-stock transaction.
From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026
Routines are made up of familiar stunts, jumps, gymnastic tumbles and classic cheer chants, but modified to account for the needs of teammates.
From BBC ● Apr. 22, 2026
Their clear laughter came up, separated by distance from the tumbles which gave it rise.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
But the stock has tumbled 16% since hitting an all-time high on May 14.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
But missteps have seen hundreds of billions of dollars wiped off its stock market value as its share price tumbled by 75% over five years.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
When apartment mortgage rates tumbled to historic lows of around 3% in 2020 and 2021, multifamily buildings were the hottest investment in commercial real estate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
Novo Nordisk stock tumbled on Monday as the weight-loss drug manufacturer failed to excite investors hoping for a turnaround.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
Fruits of varying sizes and shapes tumbled from the sack as he shook it, all looking as fresh as if they had just been picked from the tree or vine.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
But the records for long-running hits have been tumbling ever since streaming became a mainstream phenomenon.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
The meltdown spilled over into the stock market, with the benchmark Borsa Istanbul 100 tumbling 5.5% on Wednesday and triggering a circuit breaker.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
The news sent crude prices tumbling around three percent Wednesday, and they extended the losses Thursday.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
Brook's version is that tumbling scoop over his and the wicketkeeper's head, a shot which was absent here.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
At that speed, they were also going fast enough to send Jack tumbling right off the back of the broom.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
