Stumble or lurch

The answer to “Stumble or lurch” in the New York Times crossword is REEL — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on December 7, 2025, a Sunday puzzle, at 30-Across. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Stumble or lurch” answer

REEL (4 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is REEL.

Why the answer is REEL

REEL is the 4-letter solution that fits "Stumble or lurch" in the NYT Crossword crossword on December 7, 2025 (30-Across). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does REEL mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of REEL is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

When else has “Stumble or lurch” appeared?

New York Times reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

December 7, 2025 (most recent) → REEL. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

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