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to stumble
01
to accidentally hit something with one's foot and almost fall
Intransitive
Example
She stumbled over the uneven sidewalk and nearly fell face-first.
Her untied shoelaces caused her to stumble repeatedly during the race.
The unexpected rock on the hiking trail caused him to stumble and lose his balance.
02
to walk in an unsteady or clumsy manner
Intransitive
Example
The toddler just learned to walk and still stumbled as he explored the room.
The elderly man, with weakened knees, stumbled as he descended the staircase.
Nervous about the audition, she stumbled across the stage, struggling to maintain composure.
03
to encounter or discover something by chance or unexpectedly
Transitive: to stumble across sth | to stumble on sth | to stumble upon sth
Example
During my travels, I stumbled across a quaint little bookstore with rare editions.
While researching for my project, I stumbled across a fascinating documentary on the subject.
As I was cleaning out the garage, I stumbled upon a collection of vintage records.
04
to make an error or repeated errors while speaking
Intransitive
Example
As he spoke on live television, he occasionally stumbled, creating moments of awkward silence.
Anxiety caused him to stumble while presenting his findings to the academic committee.
The student, unfamiliar with the topic, stumbled through the class presentation with hesitations.
Stumble
01
an unsteady uneven gait
02
an unintentional but embarrassing blunder
03
failure in achieving something, often due to bad luck
Example
She stumbled over the uneven sidewalk and nearly fell face-first.
Her untied shoelaces caused her to stumble repeatedly during the race.
The unexpected rock on the hiking trail caused him to stumble and lose his balance.
The icy pavement made it easy to stumble, especially without proper footwear.
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