1
as in trotting
to go at a pace faster than a walk
went tripping up the steps of city hall in their eagerness to get married
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stumbling
to go down from an upright position suddenly and involuntarily
tripped over a chair and landed on her face
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in hopping
to move with a light springing step
dancers tripping lightly across the stage
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in traveling
to take a trip especially of some distance
while he was growing up, the family tripped to New England every summer
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5
as in fumbling
to make a mistake
the press has had it in for the new governor, and they are just waiting for her to trip
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tripping
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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Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
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.
—Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026
The game started to get away from the Stars in the second period, but the momentum began to shift when Jamie Benn was called for tripping with 27 seconds left in the first period.
—Lia Assimakopoulos, Dallas Morning News, 4 Jan. 2026
Nikolaj Ehlers was called for tripping on the play.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 4 Jan. 2026
In recent years, as robots have become increasingly sophisticated, their makers have gone from kicking them to shoving them, tripping them, and even hitting them with folding chairs.
—James Vincent, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
The second period started in chaos when Mat Barzal reacted to a Mason Marchment tripping penalty by taking a two-handed chop to Marchment's right foot, resulting in a major penalty and a game misconduct ejection.
—CBS News, 29 Dec. 2025
This and that ▪ Dolphins rookie running back Ollie Gordon II was contrite about lashing out at running backs coach Eric Studesville in a heated exchange after Gordon was called for a tripping penalty against Baltimore.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
With 42 seconds left in OT, the B’s got a power play, but gave it right back on the ensuing faceoff when Geekie was called for tripping.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tripping
Verb
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Apollo is still trotting on the spot.—
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Zosia and Carol’s globe-trotting romance took a dark turn in Big Sky, Montana, when Carol learned that Zosia and the rest of the Joined were nearing completion on another method to turn her into one of them.—
Verb
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The Packers are stumbling coming into the playoff with four straight losses, two of them via absolute giveaways.—
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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.—
Verb
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Neither is having your kids hopping about from school to school like free agents on 1-year contracts.—
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Travelers are chasing big moments and unforgettable experiences—think the Winter Olympics, the World Cup, or cultural festivals—rather than hopping from place to place.—
Verb
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Thirasak Wongsoongnern, a member of staff on the train, told local media outlet Thairath Online, that the train had been traveling at around 74mph when the tragedy occurred, according to the BBC.—
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Vandenberg, 49, was planning on traveling from El Paso to San Diego to unleash harmful fireworks at a June 14 protest, prosecutors said.—
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.—
Verb
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A couple years ago, another runner spent the better part of 12 months jogging every street in Manhattan, a 750-mile endeavor.—
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Barker was seen jogging in a video the organization shared on Instagram, which showed a high turnout of runners from various age groups.—
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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My child attended daycare and summer programs at Pillsbury United Communities center just four blocks away, where a multiracial cohort of kids happily play through the winter, swishing around in bulky jackets and snow pants, bouncing towards their parents.—
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When Servite senior goalkeeper Andrew Lenert was briefly out of position no JSerra player could get a head or foot on the bouncing ball before Servite was able to clear it.—
Cite this Entry
“Tripping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tripping. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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