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 Duran took third on a fly ball, pinch-hitter Joc Pederson hit a ground ball up the middle that was fumbled by Taylor Walls, allowing Duran to score.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 July 2026
  • Chad Powers season 2 sees the actor reprise his role as Russ Holliday, a former star college quarterback who fumbled his promising career after a humiliating championship-game meltdown.
    — Shelby Stivale, Entertainment Weekly, 29 July 2026
Definition of fumbled
Verb
  • Fresh from lifting the FIFA Club World Cup and buoyed by optimism around Enzo Maresca’s project, the Blues stumbled to a disappointing 10th-place Premier League finish.
    — Graham Ruthven, New York Times, 31 July 2026
  • The Curiosity rover stumbled on the polygon field while ascending the foothills of a three-mile-high mountain called Mount Sharp, where it’s been roaming since 2014.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 30 July 2026
Definition of stumbled
Verb
  • Brooks, who is recovering from back-to-back ACL injuries, took a kick return rep midway through practice and seemingly tripped with his momentum taking him head-first into rookie linebacker Jackson Kuwatch’s ankles.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 29 July 2026
  • The footage alone cannot tell us whether the robot tripped or lost balance.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of tripped
Verb
  • Miller has alleged his ex-wife has struggled with mental health challenges and is accusing her of making the claims against him to aid in a custody battle for their two-year-old daughter.
    — Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Both Alum Rock and Berryessa union school districts, which house Kidango early learning campuses, have struggled with declining enrollment.
    — Kate Sequeira, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of struggled
Verb
  • In a flurry of recent court filings, the three deputies’ attorneys argued that prosecutors erred when making their case to the grand jury.
    — Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 28 July 2026
  • Her lawyers argue that the judge wrongly assessed the effect of the posts, underestimated the seriousness of the meanings conveyed and erred in accepting Wilson’s substantial-truth defense.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 24 July 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 5 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on blundered

Nglish: Translation of blundered for Spanish Speakers

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