1
as in fumbling
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
the first baseman bobbled the catch, so the runner was safe
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bobbling
The two-point attempt went horribly with Judkins bobbling the snap and ultimately throwing it into no-man’s land.
—
Chris Bumbaca, USA Today, 8 Dec. 2025
After bobbling the snap, Rodgers eventually picked up the bouncing ball, broke several tackles, started running backward to avoid the pressure, eventually rolled out and threw the ball on the move to a wide-open receiver in the end zone.
—Grace Raynor, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025
After bobbling Wilyer Abreu’s fourth-inning fly ball over the right field fence for a two-run home run, Myers came back to tie the game with a solo shot off Greg Weissert in the top of the ninth.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 17 Aug. 2025
Chris Bumbaca, USA Today, 8 Dec. 2025
After bobbling the snap, Rodgers eventually picked up the bouncing ball, broke several tackles, started running backward to avoid the pressure, eventually rolled out and threw the ball on the move to a wide-open receiver in the end zone.
—Grace Raynor, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025
After bobbling Wilyer Abreu’s fourth-inning fly ball over the right field fence for a two-run home run, Myers came back to tie the game with a solo shot off Greg Weissert in the top of the ninth.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 17 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bobbling
Verb
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The image of Gobert fumbling with the ball and having his shot attempt rim out has been a lasting one.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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Georgia Tech also went 3 of 6, fumbling at the BYU 11-yard line in the third quarter and having a 35-yard field goal by Aidan Birr blocked late in the quarter.—
CBS News Atlanta Digital Team,
CBS News,
29 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The faceless head of a man bobbing in the water recalls the countless Africans who perished during the perilous journey due to disease, malnourishment, and abuse, whose bodies were thrown overboard by unscrupulous ship captains and slavers to schools of sharks.—
James Meyer,
Artforum,
1 Jan. 2026
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The view inside the Phoenix Convention Center, seen from a mezzanine, was a sea of bobbing caps.—
Aidan McLaughlin,
Vanity Fair,
22 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
8 Nov. 2025
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What To Know In , the Kuskokwim Delta Coast and Nunivak Island are expected to see blowing snow and strong southeasterly winds from early Sunday morning through the afternoon.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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To this day, as much fun as Johnson has with his offensive artistry, little gets his blood pumping like bringing a mauling running game to life.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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Countries like China let their industries pollute freely, dumping chemicals into rivers, pumping toxins into the air and throwing plastics into the ocean.—
Chip Lamarca,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Structure information summary Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are highly resistant to earthquake shaking, though some vulnerable structures exist.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
8 Jan. 2026
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While Bryant was able to come from behind, the Lady Hornets had a hard time shaking off the Lady Warriors.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bobbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bobbling. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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