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
Bell’s second homer came after New York second baseman Jazz Chisholm started the inning by bobbling Keaschall’s grounder.
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ABC News,
4 July 2026
Goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu made a mistake in the 50th minute, failing to stop what appeared to be a simple cross and bobbling the ball.
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Eduard Cauich,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
Jacob Rodriguez was so frustrated by his inability to pull down a pass from a coach during a drill designed to sharpen the linebacker unit’s instincts and hands, the rookie spiked the ball on the turf after bobbling it.
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Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
3 June 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
17 Aug. 2025
ABC News,
4 July 2026
Goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu made a mistake in the 50th minute, failing to stop what appeared to be a simple cross and bobbling the ball.
—
Eduard Cauich,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
Jacob Rodriguez was so frustrated by his inability to pull down a pass from a coach during a drill designed to sharpen the linebacker unit’s instincts and hands, the rookie spiked the ball on the turf after bobbling it.
—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
3 June 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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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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The strips are piled high in plastic bins, sprawled over tables and fed underneath bobbing needles.
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Fascinators — those bobbing bundles often of feathers, flowers and netting perched off-center of the wearer’s head — are banned here.
Verb
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Technically, officials said, blowing past the deadline means Alameda County is no longer in exclusive negotiations with the Oakland Acquisition Company.
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But rather than cede ground to an outsider, the town's residents plant TNT in every single structure, blowing them up before Lassiter can get his hands on them.
Verb
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Conversations struck up while pumping gas or waiting for coffee.
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Firefighters deployed to the Turkey Creek pumping station and tried desperately to keep the engine room dry.
Verb
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This tournament has built credibility by showcasing teams competing at a high level, then shaking hands afterward.
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An earth-shaking roar The World Cup finally arrived in Kansas City after several years of preparation and anticipation.
Cite this Entry
“Bobbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bobbling. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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