Tumble meaning

What does “tumble” mean? Definitions, examples, synonyms and opposites.

“tumble” is a noun and verb with 13 meanings. Its most common meaning is: an acrobatic feat of rolling or turning end over end.

tumble

an acrobatic feat of rolling or turning end over end
a sudden drop from an upright position
“he had a nasty spill on the ice”
Synonymsspill fall

fall down, as if collapsing
“The tower of the World Trade Center tumbled after the plane hit it”
Synonymstopple
cause to topple or tumble by pushing
Synonymstopple tip
roll over and over, back and forth
fly around
“The clothes tumbled in the dryer”
“rising smoke whirled in the air”
Synonymswhirl whirl around
fall apart
“the building crumbled after the explosion”
“Negotiations broke down”
Synonymscrumble crumple break down collapse
throw together in a confused mass
“They tumbled the teams with no apparent pattern”
understand, usually after some initial difficulty
“She didn't know what her classmates were plotting but finally caught on”
Synonymscatch on get wise get onto latch on cotton on twig get it
fall suddenly and sharply
“Prices tumbled after the devaluation of the currency”
put clothes in a tumbling barrel, where they are whirled about in hot air, usually with the purpose of drying
“Wash in warm water and tumble dry”
suffer a sudden downfall, overthrow, or defeat
do gymnastics, roll and turn skillfully

Source: WordNet 3.1, Princeton University