stum
ble
Third Person
stumbles
Present Participle
stumbling
Past Tense
stumbled
Past Participle
stumbled
1
to accidentally hit something with one's foot and almost fall
- She stumbled over the uneven sidewalk and nearly fell face-first.
- The unexpected rock on the hiking trail caused him to stumble and lose his balance.
- Startled by a sudden noise, she stumbled on the stairs but managed to catch herself.
- Her untied shoelaces caused her to stumble repeatedly during the race.
- The icy pavement made it easy to stumble, especially without proper footwear.
Synonyms:
2
to walk in an unsteady or clumsy manner
- After spraining her ankle, she stumbled along the path, trying to reach the nearest bench.
- The toddler just learned to walk and still stumbled as he explored the room.
- The worn-out shoes made it difficult for him to walk without stumbling.
- Nervous about the audition, she stumbled across the stage, struggling to maintain composure.
- The elderly man, with weakened knees, stumbled as he descended the staircase.
3
to encounter or discover something by chance or unexpectedly
transitive
- During my travels, I stumbled across a quaint little bookstore with rare editions.
- While hiking in the mountains, we stumbled on a hidden waterfall, a beautiful surprise.
- As I was cleaning out the garage, I stumbled upon a collection of vintage records.
- Walking through the park, I stumbled on a group of musicians playing captivating music.
- While researching for my project, I stumbled across a fascinating documentary on the subject.
Synonyms:
4
to make an error or repeated errors while speaking
- The nervous speaker tended to stumble when asked unexpected questions during the interview.
- As he spoke on live television, he occasionally stumbled, creating moments of awkward silence.
- The student, unfamiliar with the topic, stumbled through the class presentation with hesitations.
- Anxiety caused him to stumble while presenting his findings to the academic committee.