bobble

1 of 2

verb

bob·​ble ˈbä-bəl 

bobbled; bobbling ˈbä-b(ə-)liŋ 

1

: bob entry 1

2

: fumble

bobble

2 of 2

noun

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

Synonyms of bobble

Verb

• fumble
• blow

Noun

• mistake
• blunder
• error
• fumble

Examples of bobble in a Sentence

Verb

The catcher bobbled the ball.

the first baseman bobbled the catch, so the runner was safe

Noun

a bobble that cost them the game

The curtains have a series of bobbles along the edge.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

With less than four minutes to go and the Texans protecting a seven-point lead, Patrick Mahomes threw a deep ball to Kelce, who bobbled it. — Dan Pompei, New York Times, 23 June 2026

Goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu made a mistake in the 50th minute, failing to stop what appeared to be a simple cross and bobbling the ball. — Eduard Cauich, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026

Noun

Ordinary humans like Stephen’s selfish boss are depicted as giant walking eggs, while others are proportioned like bobble heads. — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 11 Apr. 2026

The Kings, who had a 5-3 advantage in shots in the first, got the first excellent chance of the game when dangerous goal scorer Adrian Kempe took advantage of a bobble at the LA blue line. — Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 11 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

frequentative of bob entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1836, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for bobble

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

Kids Definition

bobble

verb

bob·​ble

ˈbäb-əl

bobbled; bobbling

ˈbäb-(ə-)liŋ

1

: bob entry 1 sense 1a

2

: to handle in a clumsy or unsure way : fumble

bobble noun