bobble

verb bob·ble \ ˈbä-bəl \

|Updated on: 12 Jul 2018

Examples: bobble in a Sentence

Definition of bobble

bobbled; bobbling play \-b(ə-)liŋ\

1 : ¹bob

2 : fumble

See bobble defined for English-language learners

See bobble defined for kids

Examples of bobble in a Sentence

The catcher bobbled the ball.
the first baseman bobbled the catch, so the runner was safe

Recent Examples of bobble from the Web

The Germany keeper bobbled the ball and needed to swipe the rebound away from the attackers after a spectacular dive.

— samuel petrequin, chicagotribune.com, "Defending champions Germany eliminated from World Cup after losing Korea," 27 June 2018
The Germany keeper bobbled the ball and needed to swipe the rebound away from the attackers after a spectacular dive.

— samuel petrequin, Fox News, "Defending champion Germany eliminated from World Cup," 27 June 2018
Hill put in a strong third leg but bobbled the handoff to Kendall Ellis, who anchored USC’s relay squad.

— OrlandoSentinel.com, "Lake Highland Prep alum Deanna Hill contributes to dramatic USC outdoor track national title," 10 June 2018
Heading into the final leg, USC bobbled the baton on a near collision.

— andrew joseph, For The Win, "USC track's epic 4x400 championship comeback had Kobe Bryant impressed," 10 June 2018
The Marlins loaded the bases and capitalized on a fielding error by Jose Bautista, who started at third base and bobbled a grounder by Brian Anderson allowing Martin Prado to score.

— andre c. fernandez, miamiherald, "Two once sharp Marlins’ pitchers continued to struggle against MLB's top hitting team | Miami Herald," 12 May 2018
But Beckham bobbled the ball, and all that was left was the force at second base.

— jon meoli, baltimoresun.com, "Alex Cobb chased in fourth inning again as Orioles lose sixth straight, 13-8, for sweep in Detroit," 19 Apr. 2018
Second baseman Starlin Castro bobbled the ball after getting a relay throw, allowing Ian Desmond to score from third with the first of the Rockies' six runs in the inning.

— dennis georgatos, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Rockies power past Chen, Marlins," 23 June 2018
Catcher Max Stassi bobbled the ball in his glove-to-hand transition but still managed a strong throw to shortstop Carlos Correa covering second.

— chandler rome, Houston Chronicle, "Astros manager A.J. Hinch recognizes missed opportunity to challenge stolen base play," 15 May 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of bobble

frequentative of ¹bob

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1812

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

bobble Synonyms

bobble

noun

Definition of bobble

1 : a repeated bobbing movement

2 : a small ball of fabric; especially : one in a series used on an edging

3 : error, mistake; especially : a mishandling of the ball in baseball or football

See bobble defined for English-language learners

Examples of bobble in a Sentence

a bobble that cost them the game
The curtains have a series of bobbles along the edge.

Recent Examples of bobble from the Web

Both on a macro and micro level, Onrush includes a number of puzzling design decisions and execution bobbles.

— sam machkovech, Ars Technica, "Onrush game review: Sexy arcade racing in serious need of a tune-up," 5 June 2018
Dayesi Torriente and Sterling Baca were all things regal and strong (despite one rather large bobble in Torriente’s turns).

— ellen dunkel, Philly.com, "Pennsylvania Ballet's 'Jewels' shines at the Academy of Music," 11 May 2018
Chen fell once and had bobbles on other jumps and moves.

— barry wilner, Houston Chronicle, "Russians get 1st gold thanks to 15-year-old Alina Zagitova," 22 Feb. 2018
Fister's solid work was spoiled by two pickoffs at second base and a bobble by Rougned Odor on a potential double-play grounder.

— jeff wilson, star-telegram, "Rangers don't back Fister in 2-1 loss to Mariners," 28 May 2018
Chen fell once and had bobbles on other jumps and moves.

— barry wilner, Houston Chronicle, "Russians get 1st gold thanks to 15-year-old Alina Zagitova," 22 Feb. 2018
Chen fell once and had bobbles on other jumps and moves.

— barry wilner, Houston Chronicle, "Russians get 1st gold thanks to 15-year-old Alina Zagitova," 22 Feb. 2018
Sister Jean got her own bobble-head doll, and a lot of love for her Loyola-Chicago basketball team.

— Fox News, "EPA chief Pruitt addresses criticism in Fox News interview," 5 Apr. 2018
Chen fell once and had bobbles on other jumps and moves.

— barry wilner, Houston Chronicle, "Russians get 1st gold thanks to 15-year-old Alina Zagitova," 22 Feb. 2018

First Known Use of bobble

1836

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

bobble Synonyms

Synonyms

blunder, boo-boo, brick, clinker, error, fault, flub, fluff, fumble, gaff, gaffe, goof, inaccuracy, lapse, miscue, misstep, mistake, oversight, screwup, slip, slipup, stumble, trip;

Near Antonyms

accuracy, correctness, exactitude, exactness, preciseness, precision, strictness;

inerrancy, infallibility, perfection;

foul-up, snafu;

misapprehension, miscalculation, miscomprehension, misconception, misconstruction, miscue, misdescription, misimpression, misinterpretation, misjudgment, misreading, misstatement, misunderstanding;

BOBBLE Defined for English Language Learners

bobble

verb

Definition of bobble for English Language Learners

: to move up and down quickly or repeatedly
: to handle (something, such as a ball) in a clumsy or awkward way : to fail to catch (something)

bobble

noun

Definition of bobble for English Language Learners

: a mistake that occurs when a player fails to catch or handle the ball properly in baseball, football, etc.
: a small ball of fabric that is used for decoration