Stumble upon
verb
To find something by accident or unexpectedly.
While cleaning the garage, I stumbled upon my old high school yearbook.
Often appears as...
- stumble upon a memory
- stumble upon a secret
verb
To come across a problem or difficulty.
In our experiment, we stumbled upon a few unexpected issues.
Often appears as...
- stumble upon an issue
- stumble upon a dilemma
Usage tips
Academic
verb
To find something by accident or unexpectedly.
While cleaning the garage, I stumbled upon my old high school yearbook.
Often appears as...
- stumble upon a memory
- stumble upon a secret
verb
To come across a problem or difficulty.
In our experiment, we stumbled upon a few unexpected issues.
Often appears as...
- stumble upon an issue
- stumble upon a dilemma
Usage tips
Academic
Definition 1 of 2
Pro Tip 1/3Unplanned Discovery
Used when finding something good or interesting without looking for it.
I stumbled upon a charming little cafe while exploring the town.
Pro Tip 2/3Positive Surprise
Often carries a positive connotation, as if luck brought you to a pleasant find.
She stumbled upon a rare book at a garage sale.
Pro Tip 3/3Casual Tone
Common in casual conversation, not usually used in formal writing.
Guess what? I stumbled upon your favorite candy at the store.
Pro Tip 1/3Unplanned Discovery
Used when finding something good or interesting without looking for it.
I stumbled upon a charming little cafe while exploring the town.
Pro Tip 2/3Positive Surprise
Often carries a positive connotation, as if luck brought you to a pleasant find.
She stumbled upon a rare book at a garage sale.
Pro Tip 3/3Casual Tone
Common in casual conversation, not usually used in formal writing.
Guess what? I stumbled upon your favorite candy at the store.
Pro Tip 1/3Unplanned Discovery
Used when finding something good or interesting without looking for it.
I stumbled upon a charming little cafe while exploring the town.
Pro Tip 2/3Positive Surprise
Often carries a positive connotation, as if luck brought you to a pleasant find.
She stumbled upon a rare book at a garage sale.
Pro Tip 3/3Casual Tone
Common in casual conversation, not usually used in formal writing.
Guess what? I stumbled upon your favorite candy at the store.
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