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

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

The governor's remarks reflect a broader Republican push—supported by Trump—to cobble new electoral maps in advance of the 2026 midterms. —Anna Commander gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 July 2025

Dodd-Frank was cobbled together in the heat of the 2008 financial crisis based on the political narrative that deregulation had caused the crisis. —Norbert Michel, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025

Noun

Stage 21, Sunday, July 27: Mantes-la-Ville to Paris | Winner: Wout van Aert The inclusion of Montmartre on the ceremonial 21st stage proved controversial, but after rain led to the GC battle being neutralised, Pogačar had the freedom to attack on the rainy cobbles himself. —Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 28 July 2025

Historic features likes cobbles and tramlines have been retained. —Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 7 July 2025

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