1 B1 idiomatic neutral
To find or discover something by chance, without having planned or searched for it.
"Researchers stumbled on the ancient ruins while conducting a survey of the area."
inseparable
stumble on
B1 neutral inseparable transitive
To discover something by chance, or to trip on something while walking.
In plain English
Find something by accident, or trip over something.
What does "stumble on" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 A2 neutral
To catch one's foot on an obstacle while walking and nearly fall.
"The child stumbled on a loose paving stone and grazed her knee."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To stumble (trip) on something — catching your foot on an obstacle while walking.
Actually means
Find something by accident, or trip over something.
Usage tip
Interchangeable with 'stumble upon' and 'stumble across'. The discovery sense is more frequent than the literal physical sense in modern usage.
Words that pair with "stumble on"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
evidence treasure article stone truth idea
How to conjugate "stumble on"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
stumble on
I/you/we/they
3rd person
stumbles on
he/she/it
Past simple
stumbled on
yesterday
Past participle
stumbled on
have + pp
-ing form
stumbling on
continuous
Hear "stumble on" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "stumble on" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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