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
On Friday, all 53,675 fans went home with a bobbling figurine of Ohtani at the plate, a memento honoring his performance in Game 4 of the NLCS last October.
—
Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026
First baseman Carlos Santana dived toward the foul line and stopped the ball before bobbling it, allowing Rojas to score from third and extend the Dodgers' lead to 4-2.
—CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
Mara also doesn’t have great hands around the rim and has a penchant for bobbling the ball instead of catching it immediately.
—Sam Vecenie, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
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 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
Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026
First baseman Carlos Santana dived toward the foul line and stopped the ball before bobbling it, allowing Rojas to score from third and extend the Dodgers' lead to 4-2.
—CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
Mara also doesn’t have great hands around the rim and has a penchant for bobbling the ball instead of catching it immediately.
—Sam Vecenie, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
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 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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But Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace hit three-pointers while Smart was fumbling the ball and James and Hachimura were missing shots, while an Oklahoma City 8-0 run eventually gave them another 13-point lead that was never again challenged.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
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The result leaves nearly every performer fumbling for traction in Serkis and Stoller’s muddy-yet-gutless cinematic sty.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Two of them were bobbing a couple steps ahead for most of the 3,200-meter state championship race Thursday at Jeffco Stadium.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
15 May 2026
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The Ocean Cleanup’s Interceptor 007 floats quietly at the mouth of Ballona Creek, gently bobbing with the tide.—
Scotty Reiss,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2026
Verb
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The wind is blowing very hard against the president and, by extension, his party.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 May 2026
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When the air conditioner is on, the driver’s side vent is cold, the rear is cool, but the front passenger side vent is blowing hot air.—
John Paul Senior Manager Public Affairs And Traffic Safety Aaa Northeast,
Hartford Courant,
16 May 2026
Verb
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This is a type of life support that does the work of the heart and lungs, pumping blood outside the body through a machine that oxygenates it using a microporous membrane that allows for gas exchange.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
8 May 2026
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The first conclusion is that all groundwater users pumping from the Floridan Aquifer are in part responsible for declining flows at the many hundreds of artesian springs in Florida.—
Robert Knight,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 May 2026
Verb
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The other shows the two world leaders shaking hands.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
16 May 2026
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Rinse under cold water 1 minute, shaking to ensure a thorough rinse.—
Midwest Living,
Midwest Living,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bobbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bobbling. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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