1
as in trotting
to go at a pace faster than a walk went tripping up the steps of city hall in their eagerness to get married
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Relevance
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2
as in stumbling
to go down from an upright position suddenly and involuntarily tripped over a chair and landed on her face
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3
as in hopping
to move with a light springing step dancers tripping lightly across the stage
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4
as in traveling
to take a trip especially of some distance while he was growing up, the family tripped to New England every summer
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5
as in fumbling
to make a mistake the press has had it in for the new governor, and they are just waiting for her to trip
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tripping After Dobes was penalized for tripping Yanni Gourde, Point took Jake Guentzel’s centering pass and ripped a shot past Dobes’ blocker from the high slot. —
ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026 Cellphone video shot by a bystander then showed the man tripping and falling on his face as officers aggressively detained him moments later. —David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026 Some 19 minutes into the match, the Rapids’ Josh Atencio was whistled for a tripping call in the Miami box that was so soft, a toddler could’ve slept on it. —Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 19 Apr. 2026 Even if one model had a day to forget, smashing into pieces after tripping at the starting line, the record-setting winner is a sign of things to come. —New Atlas, 19 Apr. 2026 LaMelo Ball should have been ejected for tripping Bam Adebayo last night, Heat coach says. —Andrew Greif, NBC news, 15 Apr. 2026 Haight was almost immediately whistled for tripping, but Minnesota’s penalty killers produced a 2-on-1 break and a two-goal lead when McCarron beat Hofer with a wrist shot after a set-up pass from Foligno. —Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 14 Apr. 2026 Jonathan Aspirot, who was playing Nikita Kucherov tight, was called for tripping the Tampa superstar. —Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 11 Apr. 2026 While tripping with the foot is not allowed, an ankle tap, which is performed with the hand, is considered a tackle and is permissible. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2026
ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026 Cellphone video shot by a bystander then showed the man tripping and falling on his face as officers aggressively detained him moments later. —David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026 Some 19 minutes into the match, the Rapids’ Josh Atencio was whistled for a tripping call in the Miami box that was so soft, a toddler could’ve slept on it. —Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 19 Apr. 2026 Even if one model had a day to forget, smashing into pieces after tripping at the starting line, the record-setting winner is a sign of things to come. —New Atlas, 19 Apr. 2026 LaMelo Ball should have been ejected for tripping Bam Adebayo last night, Heat coach says. —Andrew Greif, NBC news, 15 Apr. 2026 Haight was almost immediately whistled for tripping, but Minnesota’s penalty killers produced a 2-on-1 break and a two-goal lead when McCarron beat Hofer with a wrist shot after a set-up pass from Foligno. —Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 14 Apr. 2026 Jonathan Aspirot, who was playing Nikita Kucherov tight, was called for tripping the Tampa superstar. —Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 11 Apr. 2026 While tripping with the foot is not allowed, an ankle tap, which is performed with the hand, is considered a tackle and is permissible. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tripping
Verb
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Palate Power-Ups A squeeze or drizzle of these globe-trotting sauces punches up basic proteins, sandwiches, bowls, and more.— Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Apr. 2026
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Far from the mortal enemies they are destined to become, the pair become friends and combine sleuthing skills to try and solve a globe-trotting mystery that unfolds over the eight episodes.— Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Lina cried out, stumbling backward.— Danielle Parker, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
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Apple has gotten off to a rough start in AI after stumbling in its efforts to deliver new features built on the technology, as promised nearly two years ago.— Michael Liedtke, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
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These include operating without GPS, using frequency hopping to counter jamming, and enabling one operator to manage multiple drones.— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Apr. 2026
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However, many thought Tilson Thomas too brash and arrogant to lead an orchestra, and, around the same time, Tilson Thomas fell in with New York’s disco-hopping crowd.— Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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After the match, Chelsea captain Reece James made a point of pushing McFarlane towards the travelling support to receive his congratulations.— Cerys Jones, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
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Roughly 55% of people traveling along the avenue are doing so on a bus, city data says.— Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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There was an emotional honesty that embraced the idea that growth isn’t always linear (see Andie from The Devil Wears Prada, fumbling a relationship with a good guy because her career came first).— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Apr. 2026
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Be ill-prepared for Christmas and face the danger of fumbling your most profitable time of the year.— Kamal Ahmed, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
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Onyxia Delinois suffered severe brain injuries after a car struck her while jogging on Miramar Parkway near Southwest 184th Avenue on April 6, 2024, according to WTVJ.— Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
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The area where Delinois was jogging is heavily wooded with no cameras, businesses or homes in the immediate surroundings.— Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The school calendar’s architects also had the benefit of a number of school holidays falling over weekends, including Rosh Hashanah, Diwali and Juneteenth.— Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026
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Officials said seven of the victims were struck by gunfire, while others were hurt in the chaos as people scrambled to get down from the pyramids, with some falling during the panic.— Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Most phases of ice send the rays bouncing in just a couple different directions, since their crystal patterns repeat after a few molecules.— Shalma Wegsman, Quanta Magazine, 27 Apr. 2026
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Alexander sees it differently, pointing instead to how any change would improve the chances of clubs relegated from the EFL bouncing straight back up.— Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tripping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/tripping. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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