tumbled; tumbling
ˈtəm-b(ə-)liŋ 
1
2
a
: to perform gymnastic feats in tumbling
b
: to turn end over end in falling or flight
3
: to roll over and over, to and fro, or end over end : toss
4
: to issue forth hurriedly and confusedly
5
: to come by chance : stumble
6
: to come to understand : catch on
didn't tumble to the seriousness of the problem
1
: to cause to tumble (as by pushing or toppling)
3
: to whirl in a tumbling barrel
1
a
: a disordered mass of objects or material
b
: a disorderly state
2
: an act or instance of tumbling
Synonyms
Verb
Noun
- agglomerate
- agglomeration
- alphabet soup
- assortment
- botch
- clutter
- collage
- crazy quilt
- farrago
- gallimaufry
- grab bag
- gumbo
- hash
- hodgepodge
- hotchpotch
- jambalaya
- jumble
- jungle
- litter
- macédoine
- medley
- mélange
- menagerie
- miscellanea
- miscellany
- mishmash
- mixed bag
- montage
- motley
- muddle
- olio
- olla podrida
- omnium-gatherum
- pastiche
- patchwork
- patchwork quilt
- potpourri
- ragbag
- ragout
- rummage
- salad
- salmagundi
- scramble
- shuffle
- smorgasbord
- stew
- variety
- welter
Examples of tumble in a Sentence
Verb
He tripped and tumbled to the ground.
The statue came tumbling down during the riots.
The satellite was tumbling out of control.
She slipped and tumbled down the hill.
Everyone came tumbling out of the bar at closing time.
He tumbled into bed and fell asleep.
Water tumbled over the rocks.
Noun
cleaned a crazy tumble of buttons, hair bands, loose change, and old candy wrappers out from the couch cushions
took a little tumble on the ice
Recent Examples on the Web
Nishant Pant, CNBC, 24 Dec. 2024
Liz and her tumbled rocks for her favorite people are a version of Ted and his shortbread cookies for AFC Richmond owner Rebecca.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 Dec. 2024
Hanna Ziady, CNN, 2 Dec. 2024
Its longevity is especially heartening in the streaming era, when many rap releases take massive tumbles the week after their equally massive debuts.
—Justin Curto, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tumble 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell delivered a quarter-point interest rate cut with a hawkish tone last Wednesday, causing stocks to tumble.
—Nishant Pant, CNBC, 24 Dec. 2024
Liz and her tumbled rocks for her favorite people are a version of Ted and his shortbread cookies for AFC Richmond owner Rebecca.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 Dec. 2024
Noun
The strikes represent a fresh headache for Europe’s largest automaker, which saw operating profit for the first nine months of the year tumble by a fifth, as its flagship brand struggled.
—Hanna Ziady, CNN, 2 Dec. 2024
Its longevity is especially heartening in the streaming era, when many rap releases take massive tumbles the week after their equally massive debuts.
—Justin Curto, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tumble
Dictionary Entries Near tumble
Cite this Entry
“Tumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tumble. Accessed 27 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tumble
1 of 2 verb
tum·ble
ˈtəm-bəl
tumbled; tumbling
-b(ə-)liŋ
1
a
: to perform gymnastic feats of rolling and turning
b
: to turn end over end in falling or in flight
the satellite was tumbling out of control
2
a
: to fall suddenly and helplessly
b
: to suffer a sudden downward turn or defeat
3
: to move or go in a hurried or confused way
everyone came tumbling out at closing time
4
: to come to understand
I thought you'd tumble to what I meant
5
: to toss about or together into a confused mass
tumble the ingredients lightly
tumble
2 of 2 noun1
: a messy state or collection
2
: an act or instance of tumbling
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