1. Fall down, as if collapsing
   "The tower of the World Trade Center tumbled after the plane hit it";
   - topple
    
2. Fall suddenly and sharply
   "Prices tumbled after the devaluation of the currency"
    
3. Roll over and over, back and forth
   "The gymnast tumbled across the mat"
    
4. Move in an irregular circular pattern
   "The clothes tumbled in the dryer";
   - whirl, whirl around
    
5. Cause to topple or tumble by pushing
   "The earthquake tumbled many houses";
   - topple, tip
    
6. Fall apart
   "the building tumbled after the explosion";
   - crumble, crumple, break down, collapse
    
7. Suffer a sudden downfall, overthrow, or defeat
   "The once-mighty empire tumbled into ruin"; "His career tumbled after the scandal broke"
    
8. 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"
    
9. Do gymnastics, roll and turn skilfully
   "The acrobats tumbled across the stage in an impressive display"
    
10. Throw together in a confused mass
    "They tumbled the teams with no apparent pattern"
     
11. [informal] Understand or realize, usually after some time or initial difficulty
    "Finally, she tumbled to what he was trying to say";
    - catch on [informal], get wise [informal], get onto, latch on [informal], cotton on [informal], twig [Brit, informal], get it [informal], cop on [Brit, informal]

1. A sudden drop from an upright position
   "he had a nasty tumble on the ice";
   - spill, fall
    
2. An acrobatic feat of rolling or turning end over end
   "The cheerleader's tumble across the field impressed the crowd"

Derived forms: tumbled, tumbles, tumbling

Type of: acrobatic feat, acrobatic stunt, apprehend, change integrity, come down, compass, comprehend, decline, descend, dig [informal], drop, exercise, force, get the picture [informal], go down, grasp, grok [N. Amer, informal], jumble, move, push, roll over, savvy, scramble, slip, throw together, toss, trip, work out, worsen

Encyclopedia: Tumble, Carmarthenshire