stumble
n. countablen. a mistake or a moment when you lose your balance while walking. It can also mean a small failure when you are trying to do something difficult.
n. an act of tripping or losing one's balance; figuratively, a minor mistake or a momentary failure in progress. Often used to describe errors in speech or professional setbacks.
A small stumble on the stairs caused her to drop the tray.
The politician's minor stumble during the debate was widely discussed by the media the following morning.
While the company's first-quarter stumble concerned investors, the CEO maintained that it was merely a temporary lapse in an otherwise robust growth strategy.
Ultimately from Proto-Germanic *stam- (“to trip up; to stammer, stutter”), thereby related to German stumm (“mute”), Dutch stom (“dumb”). Doublet of stammer. Also related to verb in Dutch stommelen (“to walk silently”).
Frequently used with the preposition 'in' when referring to a mistake in a process or activity.