Stumble across
verb
To discover or encounter something by chance.
While cleaning his attic, he stumbled across his old photographs from high school.
Often appears as...
- stumble across someone
- stumble across something
Definition 1 of 1
Pro Tip 1/3Accidental Discovery
Use 'stumble across' when you find something unexpectedly while doing something else.
She stumbled across an old love letter while she was redecorating her room.
Pro Tip 2/3Chance Encounter
'Stumble across' suggests a chance meeting of people or animals unexpectedly.
I stumbled across my old teacher while hiking in the mountains.
Pro Tip 3/3No Active Search
'Stumble across' implies that there is no active searching involved; the discovery is made by luck.
On my walk, I stumbled across a rare bird nesting in the bushes.
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