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)
-
tumbled,
past participle, past
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tumbling
present participle
-
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:
AI stocks tumble as a hot inflation reading and Anthropic’s slowing revenue growth extend the tech selloff.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
Treatment includes washing all bedding, clothing, and household materials like curtains on a hot wash and tumble dry, or they can be put in plastic bags in a freezer for three or four days.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
Your friend was unlucky that she took a tumble on those basement stairs.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026
The company, which is currently reaping the benefits of higher oil prices and deleveraging its balance sheet, is also planning for the inevitable day when prices tumble again.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
They fought and jostled to get right underneath the raft, as if at any moment we’d tumble out of the air.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
Six Flags Entertainment tumbles following a report that says it has temporarily closed some of its rides in the U.S. and Canada.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
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
Jovic, by contrast, has been a quick study when it comes to adapting to the tricky footing, sliding and occasional tumbles on grass.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2026
Spain’s Ibex 35 tumbles 5.9% at the open as banks in the index slide, with Santander falling 2.7%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026
Her white-blonde hair tumbles free of her bun.
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
Global forecasters have been warning for months that this El Nino would likely become the strongest ever observed and the latest record has tumbled even before the episode's expected peak later this year.
From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026
Relegated from Ligue 1 in 2022 before administration meant they tumbled into the fourth tier, this summer they were again demoted to the regional sixth tier because of financial issues.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
The Nasdaq Composite tumbled 1.3% on Thursday, its worst day since August.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
The rate at which companies hire, for instance, tumbled to a 16-year low earlier this year and has hardly improved, BLS data showed.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
It had white shell beaches, pale gold sand, and tumbled black rocks where the spray threw rainbows into the sky.
From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr
The Palladium performance was to a full house, with crowd surfers tumbling frequently into the photo pit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
The crisis erupted in mid-September when several funds said they were unable to satisfy investor redemption demands, sending Istanbul's main stock exchange tumbling.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
Anyone hoping to prosper by holding a leveraged ETF for the long run should ponder Shōhaku’s lions tumbling into the depths of the gorge and the long, treacherous path back to the top.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
The Fed raised interest rates for the first time since 2023, sending stocks tumbling after the third meeting for Kevin Warsh.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
I found few things more exhilarating than flying high above an apparatus, tumbling through air, then landing cleanly on the dismount.
From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles
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