blunder

verb

blun·der | \ ˈblən-dər

blundered; blundering\ ˈblən-d(ə-)riŋ

Definition of blunder

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to move unsteadily or confusedly In their exhaustion they often blundered against each other …— Norman Mailer

2 : to make a mistake through stupidity, ignorance, or carelessness blundered by not acting sooner

transitive verb

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

blunder

noun

Definition of blunder (Entry 2 of 2)

: a gross error or mistake resulting usually from stupidity, ignorance, or carelessness a costly tactical blunder

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Choose the Right Synonym for blunder

Noun

error, mistake, blunder, slip, lapse mean a departure from what is true, right, or proper. error suggests the existence of a standard or guide and a straying from the right course through failure to make effective use of this. procedural errors mistake implies misconception or inadvertence and usually expresses less criticism than error. dialed the wrong number by mistake blunder regularly imputes stupidity or ignorance as a cause and connotes some degree of blame. diplomatic blunders slip stresses inadvertence or accident and applies especially to trivial but embarrassing mistakes. a slip of the tongue lapse stresses forgetfulness, weakness, or inattention as a cause. a lapse in judgment

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: Verb

But that feature could save you from blundering into a speed trap. — Ezra Dyer, Popular Mechanics, "Why the New Mercedes-Benz GLE 450 Is the Most Futuristic (Gas-Powered) Car on the Road," 21 Dec. 2018 Many thought the program had been unfairly seized upon as a distraction by conservative opponents of gun control, who preferred to focus on blundering by the district and the sheriff’s office. — David Fleshler, Washington Post, "Parents in Parkland, Fla., want more transparency from school officials," 13 May 2018 Mr Grayling’s loyalty to the prime minister and to the Brexit cause mean he may be allowed to blunder on. — The Economist, "British railways are reduced to chaos by a botched timetable change," 7 June 2018 The unboxing is meant to increase suspense, but the nonstop blundering only provides unease. — Kelly Conaboy, The Cut, "Please Face It: Instagram Story ‘Unboxing’ Does Not Work," 13 July 2018 This bumbling, bungling, blundering media misadventure quite possibly changed the course of Magic history. — Mike Bianchi, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Worst day of Dwight Howard's life was also one of worst days in Orlando Magic history," 18 June 2018 In one of the most dangerous moments in the Cold War, in 1983, US-Moscow tensions nearly led to the two rivals blundering into nuclear war. — Stephen Collinson, CNN, "Trump's toughness on Russia judged against his predecessors," 9 June 2018 After a mix-up by their blundering fertility doctor, a couple is mistakenly impregnated with the wrong child. — Matthew J. Palm, OrlandoSentinel.com, "New Pegasus PlayLab theater festival brings new works to UCF," 7 June 2018 Here’s the hardest thing to understand about the Rally Goose, the confused Canada goose that blundered into Comerica Park (and our hearts) during a rain delay in Wednesday’s Tigers-Angels game. — Si.com Staff, SI.com, "Nine Innings: The Indians' Surprisingly Bad Bullpen, the State of the NL West and Culberson's Magic," 4 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

But a Facebook moderation blunder and Republicans’ desire to cast the platform as an anti-conservative space has pushed them more into the limelight. — Emily Stewart, Vox, "Diamond and Silk, Fox & Friends’ favorite black Trump supporters, explained," 5 Feb. 2019 Gareth Bale's eye-catching scissor-kick helped Real Madrid to a third successive Champions League title on Saturday with a 3-1 victory over a Liverpool side thwarted by a pair of goalkeeping blunders and Mohamed Salah being forced off injured. — Rob Harris, chicagotribune.com, "Gareth Bale scores twice to lift Real Madrid to 3-1 win over Liverpool in Champions League final," 26 May 2018 To call their comments gaffes or blunders misses the point. — Gregory Krieg, CNN, "Sanders and Harris crossed the base. What will it cost them?," 8 Apr. 2018 No one will remember his blunder to surrender the penalty. — Matthew Futterman And Andrew Das, New York Times, "Argentina Finds World Cup Salvation in Thriller Over Nigeria," 27 June 2018 Los Blancos are after a man to replace the unreliable Keylor Navas between the sticks at the Bernabeu, whereas Jurgen Klopp had seemingly lost faith in Loris Karius following his Champions League final blunders. — SI.com, "Conflicting Reports Claim Real Madrid Could Move for Thibaut Courtois While Alisson Saga Rumbles On," 19 June 2018 The chief apologized for the blunder and said there will not be any criminal charges filed against the resident, Washington news station WTOP-FM reported. — Stephen Sorace, Fox News, "Two Maryland officers injured in shooting had served warrant to wrong apartment, police say," 21 Sep. 2018 That one of the best saves of the tournament was followed less than 30 minutes later by one of the biggest goalkeeping blunder was merely a coincidence. — Joshua Robinson, WSJ, "France Puts It All Together to Advance to World Cup Semifinals," 6 July 2018 Two costly mistakes ended up salvaging Zinedine Zidane’s side in the form of Karim Benzema’s first goal and Sven Ulreich’s inexplicable blunder. — Juan Pimiento, chicagotribune.com, "Real Madrid prevail again, Liverpool survive Roma and the best of the week in soccer," 3 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'blunder.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.