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stumble

stum·ble

stumble

 
 
pronunciation:
stuhm bl
parts of speech:
intransitive verb, noun
features:
Word Combinations (verb, noun)
part of speech: intransitive verb
inflections: stumbles, stumbling, stumbled
definition 1: to trip or lose one's balance in walking or running.
She would have won the race if she hadn't stumbled.Don't leave your skates on the floor where somebody can stumble over them.
synonyms:
trip
similar words:
fall, flounder, halt, lurch, stagger, topple
definition 2: to falter or proceed clumsily in speech or action.
Nervousness made him stumble over his lines.
synonyms:
blunder, falter, trip
antonyms:
breeze
similar words:
halt, hesitate, lurch, reel, stagger, totter
definition 3: to blunder or err.
If this boy stumbles, the other child will win the spelling bee.
synonyms:
blunder, err, slip
similar words:
bungle, fault, flub, goof, mistake, muff, trip
definition 4: to discover, reach, or come across accidentally or unexpectedly (usu. fol. by "across," "on," or "upon").
I stumbled across this old photograph the other day when I was cleaning out my drawer.
synonyms:
come across, happen on, run across
similar words:
bump into, chance, hit on, strike
Word CombinationsSubscriber feature About this feature
 
part of speech: noun
definition 1: an act or instance of stumbling.
That stumble cost him the race.
synonyms:
falter
similar words:
misstep, stagger, trip
definition 2: an error or blunder.
The senator's embarrassing stumble was widely reported in the newspapers.
synonyms:
blunder, flub, mistake, trip
Word CombinationsSubscriber feature About this feature
derivation: stumblingly (adv.)