What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
stumbled
Example
I stumbled on the uneven pavement and almost fell. [stumbled: past tense]
Example
He stumbled over his words during the presentation. [stumbled: verb]
Example
The team stumbled in the first quarter but managed to recover in the second half. [stumbled: verb]
trip
Example
She tripped over the curb and scraped her knee. [tripped: past tense]
Example
We're planning a trip to the beach next month. [trip: noun]
Example
The project hit a major roadblock, causing the team to trip up. [trip: verb]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Trip is more commonly used than stumbled in everyday language. Trip is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while stumbled is less common and refers specifically to a loss of balance or mistake.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between stumbled and trip?
Both stumbled and trip are typically associated with an informal tone, but stumbled may have a more negative connotation of clumsiness or incompetence.
