as in to hum
to fly, turn, or move rapidly with a fluttering or vibratory sound
a fly bumbling around the room while we were trying to sleep
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1
as in to fumble
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
accused the White House staff of bumbling the announcement of the replacement for the cabinet post
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2
as in to stumble
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually
I sort of bumbled through the dance number, hoping that it would soon end
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3
as in to chat
to speak rapidly, inarticulately, and usually unintelligibly
overcome with stage fright, I could only bumble through the speech
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Recent Examples of bumble
Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
The same year that Zipf secured his measure of posthumous fame, Harvard’s football team bumbled its way to a 1-8 record.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 5 Sep. 2025
Stars from Christmas Vacation and the original National Lampoon's Vacation reunited at a panel at Chicago Fan Expo earlier this month, where Randy Quaid and Beverly D'Angelo both recalled the Fletch star's difficulties portraying bumbling patriarch Clark Griswold during the 1989 holiday sequel.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Which is a shame because Cuoco’s chemistry with on-screen husband Chris Messina was entertaining, especially as the couple bumbled their way through the true crime craze comedy.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bumble
Verb
After the Knicks bumbled away Game 1 and eventually lost the series in six contests, New York fired former Coach of the Year Tom Thibodeau after five largely successful seasons.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
The same year that Zipf secured his measure of posthumous fame, Harvard’s football team bumbled its way to a 1-8 record.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 5 Sep. 2025
Stars from Christmas Vacation and the original National Lampoon's Vacation reunited at a panel at Chicago Fan Expo earlier this month, where Randy Quaid and Beverly D'Angelo both recalled the Fletch star's difficulties portraying bumbling patriarch Clark Griswold during the 1989 holiday sequel.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Which is a shame because Cuoco’s chemistry with on-screen husband Chris Messina was entertaining, especially as the couple bumbled their way through the true crime craze comedy.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bumble
Cite this Entry
“Bumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bumble. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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