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blundered

verb

past tense of blunder
1
as in fumbled
to make a mistake even though the prosecution had blundered several times in presenting its case, it ultimately prevailed

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in stumbled
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually blundered his way through an acceptance speech

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of blundered Rubio is the president’s top adviser on both national security and diplomacy at a moment when the United States has blundered into an unpopular war that appears to be a strategic catastrophe. — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 11 May 2026 Padres fielders blundered in three of his outings. — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026 People see this president as having blundered into a war with no clear rationale. — NBC news, 5 Apr. 2026 Back in the team after injury, Neuer made strong saves in the first half but blundered for Freiburg's second, leaping out of his goal to palm a corner straight to Freiburg striker Lucas Höler for an easy second. — ABC News, 4 Apr. 2026 The growing political noise raises questions about whether Netflix, which has had one of the cleanest business strategies and investment stories in media, blundered into its first big M&A swing. — Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 24 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blundered
  1. fumbled
  2. stumbled
  3. tripped
  4. struggled
  5. erred
Verb
  • Treadwell fumbled and L’Jarius Sneed recovered the ball for what initially was ruled a game-winning recovery.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The Northwestern defense came up with another fourth-down stop to open the third quarter, but the Wildcats gave the ball back when Caleb Komolafe fumbled at the Colorado 34.
    — Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of fumbled
Verb
  • But like their European counterparts, American incumbents in the automobile and space industries have also stumbled.
    — Andrew McAfee, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2026
  • For Wilmot, the worst moment occurred when Sleepy stumbled to the edge of a huge chasm in the mine, turned and began to fall backward to his death.
    — Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of stumbled
Verb
  • Since then, price has completely round-tripped the move, giving back the entire post-earnings gap and settling back into the mid-$250s.
    — Josh Brown,Sean Russo, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Thomas Maulson alleged a deputy tripped him while handcuffed, causing injuries that required 13 stitches.
    — Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of tripped
Verb
  • The man's family has struggled to get any information from the hospital about his status or location, Lincoln-Goldfinch said.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Last year, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas’ office struggled with contractor Tyler Technologies to get money from county coffers out to districts.
    — A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of struggled
Verb
  • The Florida Supreme Court reversed the conviction and sentence in 1991, finding the trial court erred by allowing a prosecutor on the case who had previously defended Reaves in a criminal matter.
    — Jim Turner, Sun Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026
  • But by laying out why the officials erred by putting one second back on the clock, the MAC crystallized a different outcome that transcended the final score.
    — Austin Meek, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of erred

Browse Nearby Words

blunderbusses
blundered
blunderer
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Blundered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blundered. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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