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

Any resemblance between the TikTok series and the real-life version of Chairman Tom Ricketts meeting his wife, Cece, in the bleachers is purely coincidental, a Cubs source said.

— Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
In true postmodern fashion, Fitzgerald gets a brief, drunken cameo, meeting Jack on an ocean liner.

— Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 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

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