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
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
All the numbers were jumbled up, my brain just wasn't working. Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 21 Feb. 2024 With the middle of the East jumbled up, the Pacers have taken a step above their competition—for now. Scott Horner, The Indianapolis Star, 18 Jan. 2024 Nearby, an English language textbook, bits of broken furniture and a pillow with floral embroidery are jumbled together in one large pile. Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 10 Feb. 2024 And no matter what the origin story of COVID-19, a single virus, infecting a single individual in Wuhan, China, jumbled the lives of billions of people—for years. Brian Klaas, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2024 The time line was jumbled because the threats had come in waves: there were her siblings’ killings, then the fallout after Keldy testified against their killers in court. Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2024 The two party bases have become jumbled over recent cycles, largely falling along lines of education and wealth. Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 21 Dec. 2023 The Jewelry Box Nothing’s worse than showing up with your necklaces, earrings, and bracelets jumbled, knotted, or bent. Samantha Leal, Travel + Leisure, 26 Dec. 2023 The Renaissance concert movie is joyful but jumbled—and less about the star than about her audience. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 2 Dec. 2023
Noun
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 Teams are often burdened with jumbles of different KPIs that say different things, especially as operations become more complex. François Candelon, Fortune, 10 Nov. 2023 In just over two minutes, the song was done, and the gecs were on to more tracks, more genres, more dazzling jumbles. Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 27 July 2023 The Murujuga rocks look like random jumbles of blocks with a reddish brown patina slowly built up by mineralization. Bydennis Normile, science.org, 12 May 2023 Prompt engineers can be fiercely protective of these word jumbles, seeing them as the keys to unlock AI’s most valuable prizes. Drew Harwell, Washington Post, 25 Feb. 2023

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 29 Mar. 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

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