cobble

1 of 2

verb

cob·​ble ˈkä-bəl 

cobbled; cobbling ˈkä-b(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

1

chiefly British : to mend or patch coarsely

2

: repair, make

cobble shoes

3

: to make or put together roughly or hastily

—often used with together or up

cobble together an agreement

cobble up a temporary solution

cobble

2 of 2

noun

1

: cobblestone

2

cobbles plural, chiefly British : lump coal about the size of small cobblestones

Synonyms of cobble

Verb

• patch (together)
• throw together
• knock together

Examples of cobble in a Sentence

Verb

expensive leather shoes cobbled in Italy

Noun

a street paved with cobbles

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The process of cobbling financing together was relatively difficult because suicide barriers don’t qualify for traditional state road funding under the Highway Safety Improvement Program. —David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 May 2026

There were bits and pieces of greatness, enough cobbled together for the Spurs to start winning early. —Jared Weiss, New York Times, 19 May 2026

Noun

Instead of the usual intercontinental ballistic missiles, tanks and missile systems rolling across the cobbles of Red Square, Russia played a video of its military hardware in action on giant screens opposite the Kremlin walls. —Reuters, NBC news, 10 May 2026

As a rider, Hammond was a cobbles specialist, the Briton a third-place finisher at Paris-Roubaix in 2004. —Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 9 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English coblen, perhaps back-formation from cobelere cobbler

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for cobble

• bauble
• gobble
• hobble
• labile
• squabble
• wobble
• cantabile

Kids Definition

cobble

1 of 2 verb

cob·​ble ˈkäb-əl 

cobbled; cobbling -(ə-)liŋ 

: to make roughly or hastily

—often used with together or up

cobble

2 of 2 noun

: a rounded stone larger than a pebble and smaller than a boulder