1. to trip or lose one’s balance while walking or running
2. to make a mistake or encounter difficulty in speaking or performing
3. to discover or encounter something by chance

1. an act of tripping or losing balance
2. a mistake or error in speech or action

Examples

• She stumbled on the uneven sidewalk.
• The actor stumbled over his lines during the performance.
• I stumbled upon an old photo while cleaning the attic.
• His stumble nearly caused him to fall down the stairs.
• The politician’s verbal stumble was caught on camera.
• They stumbled across a hidden trail in the woods.
• One small stumble cost her the race.