blundered; blundering
ˈblən-d(ə-)riŋ 
1
: to move unsteadily or confusedly
In their exhaustion they often blundered against each other …—
Norman Mailer
Norman Mailer2
: to make a mistake through stupidity, ignorance, or carelessness
blundered by not acting sooner
1
: to utter stupidly, confusedly, or thoughtlessly
blundered an apology
2
: to make a stupid, careless, or thoughtless mistake in
… blundering matters through ignorance …—Rafael Sabatini
Rafael Sabatini
: a gross error or mistake resulting usually from stupidity, ignorance, or carelessness
a costly tactical blunder
Examples of blunder in a Sentence
Verb
We blundered along through the woods until we finally found the trail.
Another skier blundered into his path.
The government blundered by not acting sooner.
Noun
The accident was the result of a series of blunders.
fixed a minor blunder in the advertising flyer
Recent Examples on the Web
Michael S. Rosenwald, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Confidently rolling toward the Ukrainian 47th Mechanized Brigades in a long column of vehicles flying the red flag of the defunct Soviet Union, the Russian marines blundered into a preplanned kill zone.
—David Axe, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
Ashton Jackson, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2025
Russell Westbrook bounced back from his decisive blunder against Minnesota by scoring a season-high 30 points and adding 11 rebounds, six assists and three steals.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blunder
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Verb
The next year, the magazine sent Mr. Plimpton, who was known for writing about his blundering experiences trying to play professional football and golf, to count birds with Mr. Emanuel.
—Michael S. Rosenwald, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Confidently rolling toward the Ukrainian 47th Mechanized Brigades in a long column of vehicles flying the red flag of the defunct Soviet Union, the Russian marines blundered into a preplanned kill zone.
—David Axe, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
Noun
The lawyer, author and consulting firm CEO has spent more than 30 years counseling people through their biggest blunders and controversies, from former president George H. W. Bush to Fortune 500 CEOs and professional athletes.
—Ashton Jackson, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2025
Russell Westbrook bounced back from his decisive blunder against Minnesota by scoring a season-high 30 points and adding 11 rebounds, six assists and three steals.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blunder
Cite this Entry
“Blunder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blunder. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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