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buter

to stumble, to trip on

verb boo-TEH Less Common

Also means

to bump up against (a problem)

Usage Note

Buter in the figurative sense means to come up against an obstacle: je bute sur ce problème ('I'm stuck on this problem'). In construction French, it also means to prop or brace something. The noun butée ('stop, abutment') comes from the same root.

Examples

"Elle a buté contre une pierre sur le chemin."

Natural Translation

She tripped on a stone on the path.

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