bumbling

adjective bum·bling \ ˈbəm-b(ə-)liŋ \

|Updated on: 16 Jul 2018

Definition of bumbling

: awkwardly blundering or faltering

a bumbling speaker

: prone to or marked by foolish mistakes

a bumbling attempt to fix the problem

… many Americans see the F.D.A. as bumbling and inefficient …
—Herbert Burkholz

—

bumblingly

adverb

- … none of them truly wants him in her home while he tries, bumblingly, to get his act together …
- —Laura Collins-Hughes

Recent Examples of bumbling from the Web

But what’s true for a bumbling non-actor is also true for anyone striving to make authentic and inclusive theater: Listening harder is a really good start.

— james hebert, sandiegouniontribune.com, "For theater community, finding ways to reflect societal diversity onstage is more urgent than ever," 13 July 2018
To the world beyond the borders of the kingdom his driving edict appears ludicrous, a bumbling attempt to provide a false physiological basis to a ban imposed by humans.

— rafia zakaria, The New Republic, "Driving Toward Change," 23 June 2018
Now he’s being touted as the potential savior for a bumbling offense that finished 101st nationally in yards per play last season.

— chris johnson and eric single, SI.com, "Top 100 College Football Players of 2018: Nos. 100–51," 18 June 2018
Historians began revising, some time ago, the earlier judgments of Grant as an unimaginative, bloody-minded general and bumbling president.

— New York Times, "John McCain: By the Book," 3 May 2018
Cleveland Clowns: Rest assured that whichever quarterback the bumbling Browns take will be the wrong one.

— mike bianchi, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Dolphins will draft Derwin James of FSU while Bucs and Jaguars will take ...?," 26 Apr. 2018
As a journalist and frequent talk show guest before that, he was seen by many critics as using a bumbling demeanor to mask a loose grip on facts.

— adam taylor, Washington Post, "Britain’s Boris Johnson accused of misleading public over Skripal poisoning evidence," 4 Apr. 2018
This all raises a few questions for our bumbling Statehouse Republicans.

— indystar, Indianapolis Star, "Women want to rule, Buttigieg gets serious buzz and emails slam 'the fix'," 28 Mar. 2018
And the Saviors without Negan are, thus far, a fairly bumbling lot.

— steve johnson, chicagotribune.com, "Showtime at the Hilltop: A big 'Walking Dead' battle leaves questions for all," 26 Mar. 2018

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

First Known Use of bumbling

1886

in the meaning defined above

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bumbling

Definition of bumbling

bumblingly

Recent Examples of bumbling from the Web

First Known Use of bumbling

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bumbling

Definition of bumbling

bumblingly

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First Known Use of bumbling

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