bumbling
adjective
bum·bling
ˈbəm-b(ə-)liŋ 
: awkwardly blundering or faltering
a bumbling speaker
: prone to or marked by foolish mistakes
a bumbling attempt to fix the problem
… many Americans see the F.D.A. as bumbling and inefficient …—
Herbert Burkholz
Herbert Burkholz
bumblingly
adverb
… none of them truly wants him in her home while he tries, bumblingly, to get his act together …
—Laura Collins-Hughes
Laura Collins-Hughes
Examples of bumbling in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Andersen is seen as a bumbling fool from the kids’ and Dickens’ perspective.
—Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 10 June 2026
Don Knotts picked up five Emmys for his beloved performance as the bumbling, but well-intentioned, Deputy Barney Fife.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 June 2026
Contrary to their name, bumblebees are no bumbling oafs.
—Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 4 June 2026
But then again, neither is the Bears fumbling and bumbling.
—Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for bumbling
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 10 June 2026
Don Knotts picked up five Emmys for his beloved performance as the bumbling, but well-intentioned, Deputy Barney Fife.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 June 2026
Contrary to their name, bumblebees are no bumbling oafs.
—Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 4 June 2026
But then again, neither is the Bears fumbling and bumbling.
—Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for bumbling
Cite this Entry
“Bumbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bumbling. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
