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to stumble
01
to accidentally hit something with one's foot and almost fall
Intransitive
Examples
She stumbled over the uneven sidewalk and nearly fell face-first.
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
Examples
After spraining her ankle, she stumbled along the path, trying to reach the nearest bench.
The toddler just learned to walk and still stumbled as he explored the room.
03
to encounter or discover something by chance or unexpectedly
Transitive: to stumble across sth | to stumble on sth | to stumble upon sth
Examples
During my travels, I stumbled across a quaint little bookstore with rare editions.
While hiking in the mountains, we stumbled on a hidden waterfall, a beautiful surprise.
04
to make an error or repeated errors while speaking
Intransitive
Examples
The nervous speaker tended to stumble when asked unexpected questions during the interview.
As he spoke on live television, he occasionally stumbled, creating moments of awkward silence.
Stumble
01
an unsteady or uneven step
Examples
He took a stumble on the icy sidewalk.
Her stumble made her nearly fall down the stairs.
02
an unintentional, often embarrassing mistake
Examples
He made a stumble in his speech and paused awkwardly.
Forgetting her lines was a stumble for the actress.
03
a failure or setback, often caused by misfortune
Examples
The business faced a stumble due to market downturns.
Their climb to the championship included a stumble in the semifinals.
Lexical Tree
stumbler
stumbling
stumble
