stumble

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The battle between the two parties to define Palin - as a successful pick or a stumble, as a worthy No. 2 to John McCain or a Dan Quayle-like liability - kicks into gear tonight at the Republican convention here.

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Definitions (26)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (9)

  1. intransitive verb To miss one's step in walking or running; trip and almost fall.
  2. intransitive verb To proceed unsteadily or falteringly; flounder. See Synonyms at blunder.
  3. intransitive verb To act or speak falteringly or clumsily.
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Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (8)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (3)

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Examples (46)

  • [11] But the Lord is with me as a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble, they will not overcome me. —  Latest Articles
  • The companies who stumble are the ones who spend too much time reading tea leaves to figure out the future direction of Microsoft. —  LinuxChix aggregator
  • Even giants stumble, as Nokia Corp. discovered over the weekend when it pulled its mid-tier —  RCR Wireless News >> Opinion
  • As the economy sputters and continues to stumble, all of us are looking for ways to try to preserve at least a few affordable luxuries, by doing more with less. —  The New Wine Consumer: Wine Brands
  • On the videotape, the defendant does not appear to do anything such as stumble or sway. —  news | GS | http://www.gainesville.com
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This word has been looked up 110 times.

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Related

Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Allen's Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms

Used in the same context Used in the Same Context

setback ·  lurch ·  misstep ·  mishap ·  impediment ·  happen ·  wobble

Used in the same contextWord Family

stumble:   stumbled ·  stumbling ·  stumbles
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (3)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English stumblen, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse stumra.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (2)

  1. from Middle English stumblen, stomblen, stumlen, stummelen, stomelen, stomelin = Middle Dutch stomelen, Dutch stommelen, stumble, = Old High German stumbalōn, bustle, = Swedish dial. stambla, stammla, stomla = Norwegian stumbla, stumble, falter; a variant of stummer, q. v., and ult. of stammer. Cf. stump.
  2. from stumble, v.
 

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/ˈstəmbl/
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