1
as in fumbling
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 stumbling
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually
blundered his way through an acceptance speech
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of blundering
Earlier this year, two Serve Robotics machines were spotted blundering into the middle of a police incident while cops apprehended a man who appeared to be having a mental health crisis.
—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
24 June 2026
When the toys use messaging apps to control their owners in ways that go terrifyingly unnoticed, humankind itself seems to be blundering about with its brain unplugged.
—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
The consequences ranged from hobbling Reconstruction to hastening the end of the Ottoman Empire to poisonous deflation, and the blundering response by governments helped shape the modern world.
—
Air Mail,
6 June 2026
The broadest of comedies, the film’s often puerile humor is driven by an endless stream of male bungling, blundering and whining, only to be kicked up a notch by pratfalls of nearly every variety, from getting bucked off a galloping horse to tripping into a pile of trash.
—
Natalia Winkelman,
Variety,
27 May 2026
Right now, the source of the disruption in the airline industry is the President’s blundering rather than a financial meltdown that originated on Wall Street.
—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
Verizon never would have gotten the chance to buy Yahoo’s online operations if not for the company’s perpetual blundering under seven different CEOs in 16 years.
—
Michael Liedtke,
Fortune,
29 Mar. 2026
Verizon never would have gotten the chance to buy Yahoo's online operations if not for the company's perpetual blundering under seven different CEOs in 16 years.
—
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
Yabusele started Monday and immediately racked up two blundering fouls in four minutes.
—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
24 June 2026
When the toys use messaging apps to control their owners in ways that go terrifyingly unnoticed, humankind itself seems to be blundering about with its brain unplugged.
—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
The consequences ranged from hobbling Reconstruction to hastening the end of the Ottoman Empire to poisonous deflation, and the blundering response by governments helped shape the modern world.
—
Air Mail,
6 June 2026
The broadest of comedies, the film’s often puerile humor is driven by an endless stream of male bungling, blundering and whining, only to be kicked up a notch by pratfalls of nearly every variety, from getting bucked off a galloping horse to tripping into a pile of trash.
—
Natalia Winkelman,
Variety,
27 May 2026
Right now, the source of the disruption in the airline industry is the President’s blundering rather than a financial meltdown that originated on Wall Street.
—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
Verizon never would have gotten the chance to buy Yahoo’s online operations if not for the company’s perpetual blundering under seven different CEOs in 16 years.
—
Michael Liedtke,
Fortune,
29 Mar. 2026
Verizon never would have gotten the chance to buy Yahoo's online operations if not for the company's perpetual blundering under seven different CEOs in 16 years.
—
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
Yabusele started Monday and immediately racked up two blundering fouls in four minutes.
—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blundering
Verb
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With Yerry De los Santos also fumbling a bunt in the eighth, the Yanks tallied a season-high four errors on the night.
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My first few hours with the EM11 NL were marked by overshooting links, fumbling through simple selections, and occasionally wondering why anyone would voluntarily use a vertical mouse.
Verb
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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has also fallen foul of Germany’s World Cup elimination by Paraguay, after stumbling into a social media debacle following a communications blunder.
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There's been some stumbling plays, thwarted by tripping and dramatic falls.
Verb
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Neural pathways controlling core bodily functions — feeling in the limbs, movement and breathing — were collapsing one by one, like circuit breakers tripping in rapid succession.
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The primary question is whether this crowded field of new entrants is actually accomplishing anything, or whether its members are simply tripping over one another with deleterious impact.
Verb
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Trump taking the country to war with Iran, in part at the urging of his pal Bibi — without any sensible plan, debate, sanction from Congress or consideration as to how this might hurt Americans already struggling to make ends meet.
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The rules were altered in 2004 at the urging of Algeria, which was struggling to field a competitive national team with wholly domestic players and saw dozens of better prospects from the diaspora living in France.
Cite this Entry
“Blundering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blundering. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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