stumble across
phrasal verb·1 sense·particle across
Meanings
Find something by chance
Why “across”? Two paths cross unexpectedly. A person or thing comes into your path.
“I stumbled across a useful recipe while reading a food blog.”
“She stumbled across a quiet cafe near the museum.”
Don't confuse with
Stumble across means find something by chance. Stumble on means discover something by chance.
Test yourself
“I stumbled across a useful recipe while reading a food blog.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
stumble on
A contrast learners often mix up
Discover something by chance
come across
Same across pattern: crossing paths
Find or meet someone or something by chance; Give a particular impression to others; Be expressed clearly enough for people to notice or understand
happen across
Same across pattern: crossing paths
Find or meet someone by chance
run across
Same across pattern: crossing paths
Encounter someone or something unexpectedly
Sink In — iOS & Android
Practice “stumble across” in Sink In
Drill “stumble across” and 1,300+ other phrasal verbs with spaced repetition, organised by the particle patterns that connect them.
- Learn the pattern behind dozens of verbs at once — not one-off translations.
- Spaced repetition (SM-2) brings each meaning back right before you forget.
- Four practice modes train recall and discrimination, not just recognition.
