bumbling
adjective
bum·bling
ˈbəm-b(ə-)liŋ 
: 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
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
Laura Collins-Hughes
Examples of bumbling in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Over the next few years, the pair were able to put the past behind them and reprise their roles as bumbling burger restaurant employees Dexter and Ed.
—Grace Harrington, People.com, 6 May 2025
Reeve’s Clark put on a bumbling and cowardly display, in line with much of the early comic strip stories, but only gradually incorporated more of the investigative reporter elements.
—Mark Hughes, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
In last night’s episode of the Apple TV+ dramedy skewering Hollywood, the bumbling but well-intentioned Continental Studios executive attends a charity gala with his girlfriend (ahem, not for long), a pediatric oncologist (played by Rebecca Hall).
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 23 Apr. 2025
Moore will star alongside him as Lt. Columbo, a disheveled and seemingly bumbling detective who’s investigating the crime.
—Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bumbling
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.
Grace Harrington, People.com, 6 May 2025
Reeve’s Clark put on a bumbling and cowardly display, in line with much of the early comic strip stories, but only gradually incorporated more of the investigative reporter elements.
—Mark Hughes, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
In last night’s episode of the Apple TV+ dramedy skewering Hollywood, the bumbling but well-intentioned Continental Studios executive attends a charity gala with his girlfriend (ahem, not for long), a pediatric oncologist (played by Rebecca Hall).
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 23 Apr. 2025
Moore will star alongside him as Lt. Columbo, a disheveled and seemingly bumbling detective who’s investigating the crime.
—Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bumbling
Cite this Entry
“Bumbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bumbling. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share