stumble upon
B1 neutral inseparable transitive
In simple words
Find something by accident when you weren't looking for it.
Literal meaning: To stumble (trip) upon something — physically tripping over an object.
Meanings
1 B1
idiomatic
neutral
To find or encounter something interesting or important by chance, without specifically looking for it.
"While browsing a second-hand bookshop, he stumbled upon a first edition signed by the author."
"I stumbled upon this on the internet."
— Common informal usage, widely attributed in online discourse; specific single citation unavailable.
Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes
One of the most common of the 'stumble + preposition' discovery phrases. Slightly more formal and literary than 'stumble across'. Widely used in journalism, storytelling, and everyday speech. 'Upon' can also be spelled 'on' with no change in meaning.
Commonly used with
treasure clue document shop truth solution
Forms
Base
stumble upon
I/you/we/they
3rd person
stumbles upon
he/she/it
Past simple
stumbled upon
yesterday
Past participle
stumbled upon
have + pp
-ing form
stumbling upon
continuous
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