jumble

1 of 3

verb

jum·​ble ˈjəm-bəl How to pronounce jumble (audio)
jumbled; jumbling ˈjəm-b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce jumble (audio)

intransitive verb

: to move in a confused or disordered manner

transitive verb

: to mix into a confused or disordered mass
often used with up

jumble

2 of 3

noun (1)

1
a
: a mass of things mingled together without order or plan : hodgepodge
b
: a state of confusion
2
British : articles for a rummage sale

jumble

3 of 3

noun (2)

: a small thin usually ring-shaped sugared cookie or cake

Examples of jumble in a Sentence

Verb the contest editor has jumbled the letters of some common words Noun (1) the house is always in a jumble before and after vacation trips a jumble of rubber bands, batteries, and pencil stubs all stuffed into that drawer
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The back-to-back hurricanes have jumbled the schedules of Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump, both of whom devoted part of their Thursdays to tackling questions about the storm recovery effort. Lindsey Leake, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2024 The slogan was a weekly newspaper designed to be read, but the layout was jumbled, the writing stiff and hyperlocal: Washington Square folk singers take a break from busking; trucker sues Columbia; robbery goes south. Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 22 Aug. 2024
Noun
Owners’ names now read like jumbles of computer code, retirement homes or rock bands: Silver Sage, Dream Homes, Blue Apple, P Fin VII, Wref II, 3xs2, Vivid, Straight Red Lines, TKJK, Jags Proper. Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 24 June 2024 Think of it instead as a Rube Goldberg machine, reimagining doodles as dense jumbles of steps and if-then rules. The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for jumble 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'jumble.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

perhaps imitative

Noun (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1529, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun (1)

1657, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

1615, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of jumble was circa 1529

Dictionary Entries Near jumble

Cite this Entry

“Jumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jumble. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

jumble

verb
jum·​ble
ˈjəm-bəl
jumbled; jumbling
-b(ə-)liŋ
: to mix in a confused mass
jumble noun

More from Merriam-Webster on jumble

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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