stumble

Noun

• an unintentional but embarrassing blunder
  • he recited the whole poem without a single trip
    
  • he arranged his robes to avoid a trip-up later
    
  • confusion caused his unfortunate misstep
    

• an unsteady uneven gait

Verb

• make an error
  • She slipped up and revealed the name
    

• encounter by chance
  • I stumbled across a long-lost cousin last night in a restaurant
    

• miss a step and fall or nearly fall
  • She stumbled over the tree root
    

• walk unsteadily
  • The drunk man stumbled about
    

Related words

• Synonyms: 
  trip , trip-up , misstep , lurch , stagger , slip up , trip up , hit , falter , bumble