stumbling 1 of 2

adjective

as in muttering

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stumbling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of stumble
1
as in falling
to go down from an upright position suddenly and involuntarily the bride stumbled on the altar steps and landed smack in the arms of the minister

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2
as in struggling
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually stumbled twice while she was reciting the "Gettysburg Address"

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3
as in shuffling
to move heavily or clumsily the tipsy revelers left the path and wearily stumbled through the tangled undergrowth

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4
as in fumbling
to make a mistake that network announcer rarely stumbles when he's on the air

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stumbling
Verb
Big banks made changes to overdraft fees and fraud protections following previous testimony, for example, while former Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf abruptly resigned in 2016 after stumbling during hearings on the bank’s fake accounts scandal. — Reuters, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2026 In an era of geotags and influencers, there’s something deeply satisfying about stumbling upon a place that still feels like a secret. — Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 12 Oct. 2026 Charlie Pankow Moorpark The fumbling, bumbling Chargers keep stumbling in their unprecedented 0-4 start in the Jim Harbaugh era. — Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026 Unlike every other film genre, the history of horror, at least since the 1950s, is a story of amateurs stumbling in the dark. — Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026 Instead of stumbling like the Phillies and Cubs, the Padres surged and took with them the #1 Wild Card spot, earning the right to host this series. — Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026 One of my favorite projects involved walking across the largest city in the Lower 48, only with the general framework of a plan, stumbling upon all kinds of interesting people, places and history. — Mark Woods, Florida Times-Union, 20 Sep. 2026 Ian informs the sisters that Kylie isn’t merely stumbling into arcane rituals; someone is drawing her to the dark side. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2026 Unlike other festivals, where audiences can be more forgiving, stumbling out of the gate at Venice can prove impossible for a contender to recover from. — Nate Jones, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumbling
  1. faltering
  2. falling
  3. struggling
  4. shuffling
  5. fumbling
  6. sputtering
  7. tripping
  8. blundering
Adjective
  • This time, after being four outs from stealing Game 1 before faltering, then pulling off an epic Game 2 win, the Phillies reverted to their worst selves in Game 3.
    — Matt Gelb, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Today, the mechanisms that contained the initial energy shock are faltering.
    — RICHARD HAASS, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of faltering
Verb
  • People have moved so aggressively along the learning curve that those challenges are falling by the wayside.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Paired with an all-leather ensemble, pants and pointed-toe pumps included, the hair screamed ’80s rom-com star, the curls falling toward her face in a single swift motion.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of falling
Verb
  • Mitchell-Namdar said Pink Aid’s mission is to provide emergency aid assistance to those struggling during treatment, whether that means paying an electric bill, rent, offering wigs or lymphedema sleeves.
    — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Many mid- and late-career working-class comics who would normally build the bridge to younger generations are struggling to make a living.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of struggling
Verb
  • Ivey and his partner persuaded the Crockfords dealer to rotate the high-value cards 180 degrees before shuffling them back into the pack, citing some obscure superstition as justification.
    — Kit Chellel, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
  • At the end of all that immersiveness, exiting out onto the physical street to join the crowds of shuffling tourists and fend off sullen Elmos makes Times Square feel like the soul of authenticity.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of shuffling
Verb
  • Specifically, Nico Iamaleava struggled, fumbling once and throwing interceptions to Oregon’s Koi Perich and Jerry Mixon.
    — Elias Esquivel, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Fittingly, the game ended on Oregon fumbling while trying to run a series of laterals down the field as time expired.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of fumbling
Adjective
  • America’s cost-of-living concerns and a bond market meltdown aren’t functions of a sputtering economy that’s running out of gas.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The Chargers, meantime, opened with three losses for the first time since 2017, and feature a listless, sputtering offense that lacks finish under first-year offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of sputtering
Verb
  • In overtime, the Golden Knights quickly took advantage of a tripping penalty on Kings center Scott Laughton.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Behar, who dislocated the shoulder after catching her heel and tripping last week at The View‘s ABC studio building in New York, is expected to return to the show next week.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of tripping
Verb
  • Only a blundering idiot could spoil such an alliance and threaten damage to Florida’s economy.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026
  • On Monday, the first day of the trial in which Basabe is representing himself without an attorney, the proceedings were shaded by Basabe’s blundering legal missteps and procedural chaos.
    — Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026
Definition of blundering

Phrases Containing stumbling

Browse Nearby Words

stumble (upon)
stumbling
stumbling block
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Cite this Entry

“Stumbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumbling. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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