as in mistake
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy
played the entire piano piece without a single fumble
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to blow
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
her assistant fumbled the party plans by getting the time wrong on the invitations
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to grope
to search for something blindly or uncertainly
the librarian fumbled for the light switch as she entered the dark room
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to stumble
to make a mistake
just when it looked like he was going to get away with the ruse, he fumbled
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of fumble
Dan Pompei, New York Times, 10 July 2025
Wyatt had three sacks, five quarterback hits and a fumble recovery in the first four games.
—Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025
Annita Katee, Travel + Leisure, 23 June 2025
Wang again earned the right to serve for the set by breaking the Czech, but again fumbled, this time rather more emphatically.
—Leon Imber, New York Times, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for fumble
Noun
In two playoff games, Fiske and Verse combined for 3 1/2 sacks, and Verse returned a fumble 57 yards for a touchdown.
—Dan Pompei, New York Times, 10 July 2025
Wyatt had three sacks, five quarterback hits and a fumble recovery in the first four games.
—Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025
Verb
There’s nothing worse than fumbling with laces in a TSA line.
—Annita Katee, Travel + Leisure, 23 June 2025
Wang again earned the right to serve for the set by breaking the Czech, but again fumbled, this time rather more emphatically.
—Leon Imber, New York Times, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for fumble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fumble
Noun
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Read on for some of the most common nutrition mistakes sports dietitians see that wreak havoc on people’s workouts—plus what to do instead.—
Jenny McCoy,
SELF,
9 July 2025
-
Investors who do not use the tool risk making major mistakes.—
Steve Denning,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
Verb
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Some of the clips have also already begun to go viral including one of Chase’s gazelle-like movement and another of Hill blowing by Smith-Njigba in coverage.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
10 July 2025
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
10 July 2025
Verb
-
Climaco-Garcia groped both children at different times during the interaction and attempted to remove their swimsuits, according to the Facebook post.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
9 July 2025
-
According to Jones, Diddy groped him and forced him to work while the mogul showered and walked around naked.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
13 May 2025
Verb
-
Hegseth, a former Fox TV host who has stumbled through several controversies during his six months in office, sat silently next to Trump without volunteering any information about the decision that apparently came on his watch.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
9 July 2025
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After a dramatic event, like an underwater landslide, covered her in sediment, her body remained hidden until 16 years ago, when scientists stumbled upon the nearly pristine fossil of the animal—a dolphin-like marine predator—and unearthed it for further research.—
Sara Hashemi,
Smithsonian Magazine,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
What happened to Josh Friedman isn’t just an HR blunder.—
Chloe Rogers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 July 2025
-
Letting Tommy Kahnle, a reliable arm, walk has turned out to be a massive blunder.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 July 2025
Verb
-
Initially meant to be filmed simultaneously with the first installment, the sequel faced internal battles, forcing initial director Richard Donner to be booted from the project.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
11 July 2025
-
Reinventing Kong The first thing players will notice upon booting up Donkey Kong Bananza is that its titular ape looks pretty different.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
10 July 2025
Verb
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What to look for in quality grain-free dog foods Whole protein The best grain-free dog foods are wholesome, and their primary ingredients should include whole animal proteins.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
14 July 2025
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And who better to look to for inspiration than Martha Stewart?—
Lauren Thomann,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 July 2025
Verb
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The Wall Street Journal wrote about how the robots are getting flipped over, stuck in snow piles and some students have been found to sit on them, or trip over them, when drinking.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 July 2025
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An employee at a Pyro Spectaculars, Inc. warehouse tripped and dropped a combustible shell.—
Calista Oetama
July 3,
Sacbee.com,
3 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fumble. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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