B1verblanguagetravel
US/ˈstʌm.bəl/
UK/ˈstʌm.bəl/
to hit your foot on something and almost fall, or to make a mistake while speaking
In context
She stumbled on the uneven sidewalk and dropped her bag.
He stumbled over his words when the teacher asked a surprise question.
We stumbled across a tiny café while looking for the station.
Words that go with stumble
verb + preposition
- stumble overBe careful not to stumble over the cables.
- stumble onShe stumbled on a loose stone.
- stumble acrossI stumbled across an old photo of my father.
- stumble uponScientists stumbled upon the cure by accident.
- stumble throughHe stumbled through his speech.
verb + adverb
- stumble backwardHe stumbled backward when the door suddenly swung open.
Common mistakes
Incorrect:
I stumbled a nice café yesterday.Correct: I stumbled across a nice café yesterday.