cobble

1 of 2

verb

cob·​ble ˈkä-bəl 

cobbled; cobbling ˈkä-b(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

1

chiefly British : to mend or patch coarsely

2

: repair, make

cobble shoes

3

: to make or put together roughly or hastily

—often used with together or up

cobble together an agreement

cobble up a temporary solution

cobble

2 of 2

noun

1

: cobblestone

2

cobbles plural, chiefly British : lump coal about the size of small cobblestones

Synonyms of cobble

Verb

• patch (together)
• throw together
• knock together

Examples of cobble in a Sentence

Verb

expensive leather shoes cobbled in Italy

Noun

a street paved with cobbles

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Republican infighting was on full display as Johnson struggled to cobble together the votes needed to advance a farm bill, extend a critical government spying program, and end the record-long Department of Homeland Security shutdown. —Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 9 May 2026

Cities are also cobbling together constellations of pocket parks in heart-of-the-city neighborhoods, a fraction of an acre here and there, enough, maybe, for a picnic table or a play space. —Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026

Noun

Instead of the usual intercontinental ballistic missiles, tanks and missile systems rolling across the cobbles of Red Square, Russia played a video of its military hardware in action on giant screens opposite the Kremlin walls. —Reuters, NBC news, 10 May 2026

As a rider, Hammond was a cobbles specialist, the Briton a third-place finisher at Paris-Roubaix in 2004. —Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 9 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English coblen, perhaps back-formation from cobelere cobbler

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for cobble

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

Kids Definition

cobble

1 of 2 verb

cob·​ble ˈkäb-əl 

cobbled; cobbling -(ə-)liŋ 

: to make roughly or hastily

—often used with together or up

cobble

2 of 2 noun

: a rounded stone larger than a pebble and smaller than a boulder