bumble

1 of 2

verb (1)

bum·​ble ˈbəm-bəl How to pronounce bumble (audio)
bumbled; bumbling ˈbəm-b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce bumble (audio)

bumble

2 of 2

verb (2)

bumbled; bumbling

intransitive verb

1
: blunder
specifically : to speak ineptly in a stuttering and faltering manner
2
: to proceed unsteadily : stumble
bumbler noun

Examples of bumble in a Sentence

Verb (1) a fly bumbling around the room while we were trying to sleep Verb (2) accused the White House staff of bumbling the announcement of the replacement for the cabinet post I sort of bumbled through the dance number, hoping that it would soon end overcome with stage fright, I could only bumble through the speech
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Verb
The Kings were booed off the floor Wednesday after bumbling their way through the team’s second-worst homestand of at least four games since February 2021. Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 13 Nov. 2025 In true Reichardt fashion, the driving force of the film is not the crime itself, which takes place in bumbling fashion in the first third, but what happens afterward. Alison Willmore, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2025 As the Rockies bumbled through the 2025 season, The Athletic asked rival executives about hypothetical ways to fix the franchise. Andy McCullough, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025 On his lot, Rogen’s bumbling exec Matt Remick typically fails to compromise, as a creature of and a victim to the system he’s been charged with minding. Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bumble

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English bomblen to boom, of imitative origin

Verb (2)

perhaps alteration of bungle

First Known Use

Verb (1)

1689, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1533, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bumble was in 1533

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bumble. Accessed 25 Nov. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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