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
  • After Jordan fumbled away a screen pass, Maiava later found Mosley for that 68-yard score.
    — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Balogun didn’t hurt his stock or his public image by walking away from Everton, a club that fumbled its way through another transfer window.
    — Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of fumbled
Verb
  • While Mayfield is 3-0 in Week 1 since coming to Tampa Bay in 2023, Burrow and the Bengals have often stumbled out of the gate.
    — Joe Reedy, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026
  • On this day in 1940, four teenage boys stumbled upon one of the world’s most significant archaeological finds—through a fox’s den, 50 feet down to an underground passageway, and into a network of caves.
    — Michele Metych Britannica Editors Sep. 10, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of stumbled
Verb
  • An older man to my right tripped and took a face-first dive across the pavement, glasses flying off his face.
    — Timothy Townsend, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Mizzou tripped Kansas 42-31 last season in Columbia, went 4-1 against the Jayhawks uninterrupted from 2007-11 at Arrowhead Stadium and also conquered KU 42-17 in 2006 at Memorial Stadium in Columbia.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of tripped
Verb
  • The 23-year-old struggled in the defeat to Argentina before adding his seventh of the tournament against France in the third-place play-off.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • His 81-year-old partner has struggled without Vela Gonzalez, her primary caretaker.
    — Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of struggled
Verb
  • The Missouri Supreme Court — dominated by Republican appointees — ruled the secretary of state erred in making the decision.
    — James A. Downs, The Washington Examiner, 6 Sep. 2026
  • But city officials say staff erred in not posting a notice on a board outside the city clerk’s office in keeping with the city’s code of ordinances.
    — Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of erred

Browse Nearby Words

blunderbusses
blundered
blunderer
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Cite this Entry

“Blundered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blundered. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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