as in muttering
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Dissimilar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in struggling
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually
stumbled twice while she was reciting the "Gettysburg Address"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in shuffling
to move heavily or clumsily
the tipsy revelers left the path and wearily stumbled through the tangled undergrowth
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Recent Examples of stumbling
Hank Gola, New York Daily News, 9 Jan. 2026
Government agencies and businesses that invest in this training, and that insist every critical number survives a deterministic check, will capture AI's benefits without stumbling into its blind spots.
—Arkansas Online, 8 Jan. 2026
From vitamin D deficiencies to stumbling circadian rhythms, all these extra dark hours can cause major sleep disruptors.
—Hunter Boyce, AJC.com, 8 Jan. 2026
Following the crash, Davis could allegedly be seen in the video stumbling toward the Camry and assisting others in removing someone from the car, the warrant affidavit said.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 7 Jan. 2026
Moments later, bodycam video shows Hairston suddenly bolting from deputies, stumbling into the road and engaging in a struggle with deputies.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Otherwise, Everton’s season will be prone to more weeks like this — when big steps forward are followed by stumbling ones straight back.
—Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Imagine thrift shopping and stumbling upon an item made famous by Kim Kardashian.
—Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 31 Dec. 2025
Benzinga Major indexes regained footing by Friday, after stumbling early in the week on tech sector volatility and growth fears.
—Benzinga, Freep.com, 20 Dec. 2025
Verb
The Packers are stumbling coming into the playoff with four straight losses, two of them via absolute giveaways.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumbling
Verb
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Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.—
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Shop my favorite airport looks for winter travel below, with each outfit falling at or below $100.—
Verb
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However, the technology has been moving faster than state regulations can accommodate, and lawmakers have been struggling to walk the line between innovation and patient safety.—
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And, for many borrowers struggling with debt, exploring alternatives like debt settlement or consolidation may offer significant relief without the complications that bankruptcy rules can create.—
Verb
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Go on a street food tour Street food tours are great things to do in Sicily and a fabulous alternative to hours of shuffling through museums.—
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It's designed to offer a satisfying and calming shuffling motion, guided by a strong magnet and a seamless sliding track on the inside.—
Verb
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The image of Gobert fumbling with the ball and having his shot attempt rim out has been a lasting one.—
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Georgia Tech also went 3 of 6, fumbling at the BYU 11-yard line in the third quarter and having a 35-yard field goal by Aidan Birr blocked late in the quarter.—
Adjective
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At the same time, public information about vaccination rates is faltering.—
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California’s growth in jobs and economic activity is faltering because Sacramento politicians have been driving away businesses, families, and wealth for years.—
Verb
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Early in the third period, Blue Jackets forward Dmitri Voronkov was checking with his stick instead of his body when he was called for tripping former Blue Jackets forward Yegor Chinakhov.—
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The police footage shows the man turning and bolting away from officers before quickly tripping over his own feet just a few steps past his car.—
Verb
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Read All About It A Missouri woman was sentenced to more than four years in prison in a brazen and blundering attempt to steal Graceland from the family of Elvis Presley.—
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Apple so far has only been able to introduce a few basic AI features on the iPhone while failing to deliver on last year’s promise to deliver a more conversational and versatile version of its often-blundering virtual assistant Siri.—
Verb
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Then there’s the people watching, from the tailgating to the communal divot stomping, full of dramatic sun dresses and hats with flourishes, seersucker suits and, yes, hats with flourishes.—
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When episode 8 opens, Maia is stomping around NYC’s Chinatown, eager to find a pretext for breaking no-contact.—
Cite this Entry
“Stumbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumbling. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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