STUMBLING (UPON) Synonyms: 34 Similar and Opposite Words

stumbling (upon)

verb

present participle of stumble (upon)

as in encountering

to come upon face-to-face or as if face-to-face stumbled upon an old acquaintance at the airport

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumbling (upon)

Verb

After encountering Baumeister again the following year, Goodyear helped investigators obtain information that led them to identify Baumeister.

— Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Itauma has described moving to England with his family as a child after encountering racist abuse.

— ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of encountering

Verb

Willy Kurniawan | Reuters Indonesia may have trouble meeting its economic-growth goals for the coming year, after spending 2026 on the defensive amid questions about fiscal outlays and the prospects of a downgrade from MSCI.

— Celestine Iyer, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
The film’s audition introduced Hale to her future costar and now-husband Massagli, who recalled meeting her for the first time in a joint interview with Inside Edition in 2021.

— Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of meeting

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stumbling (on or onto)

stumbling (upon)

stump

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“Stumbling (upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumbling%20%28upon%29. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of stumbling (upon)

verb

Example Sentences

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