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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to chat
to speak rapidly, inarticulately, and usually unintelligibly
overcome with stage fright, I could only bumble through the speech
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of bumble
Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 13 Nov. 2025
In true Reichardt fashion, the driving force of the film is not the crime itself, which takes place in bumbling fashion in the first third, but what happens afterward.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for bumble
Verb
The Kings were booed off the floor Wednesday after bumbling their way through the team’s second-worst homestand of at least four games since February 2021.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 13 Nov. 2025
In true Reichardt fashion, the driving force of the film is not the crime itself, which takes place in bumbling fashion in the first third, but what happens afterward.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for bumble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bumble
Verb
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There’s a small, warm body of evidence that some of the most therapeutic sounds on earth may already be napping on your couch, singing outside your window and humming in your backyard.—
Allison Palmer,
Miami Herald,
29 May 2026
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Michelle Williams On a cool spring morning at Booker Vineyard in Paso Robles, California, a drone hums low over the Syrah block.—
Michelle Williams,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Verb
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Lose Aaron Jones, and the offense will hinge on Jordan Mason, who has a mountain to climb in pass protection, and rookie Demond Claiborne, who fumbled five times in 179 carries last season at Wake Forest.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
22 May 2026
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In doing so, the TV adaptation fumbled the comics’ superior final act, turning Butcher’s own ignominious death at the hands of Hughie into an ineffective afterthought.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
20 May 2026
Verb
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The first robot stumbles on aluminum debris, its wheels furiously trying to get traction and move around the obstacle.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
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Traveling even to a different Strip hotel could be bewildering, so tourists worn out by a day of wandering, people-watching and drinking didn’t seem to mind mediocre restaurants, content to stumble off to bed after a few turns at the tables.—
Winston Ross,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Verb
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One early scene at a diner shows Valentina chatting with a group of immigrant men who have just crossed the border.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2026
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That shift is bigger than the current conversation around copilots, chat interfaces or workflow automation.—
Prithvi Singh Shergill,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Verb
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Beto was close to unplayable up front, while James Garner and Dewsbury-Hall buzzed around in midfield.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
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Other lighthearted events—like a soccer match that pitted young Esperanto speakers against a Brno club team, and an excursion to a local winery—were buzzing as well.—
Katie Thornton,
Harpers Magazine,
26 May 2026
Verb
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But questions about his future in Boston have swirled since the Celtics blew a 3-1 series lead en route to their first opening-round playoff exit since 2021.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
26 May 2026
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Trump may also be extrapolating from his first term, and especially his first impeachment, when people in the government blew the whistle on his attempts to blackmail Ukraine into investigating Joe Biden and his family.—
Tom Nichols,
The Atlantic,
26 May 2026
Verb
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The 25-year-old midfielder struggled to settle after joining Spurs from Atletico Madrid in January for €40million.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
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The combination of Randy Vásquez yielding solo home runs with two outs in each of the first three innings and the Padres’ ailing offense being unable to do much against previously struggling Phillies starter Aaron Nola was too much to avoid a third consecutive loss.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 May 2026
Verb
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But a chattering bird builds no nest!—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
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Tabakis lightly strums and plucks over a glowing drone and chattering birds, offering an ecumenical introduction, a smiling welcome.—
Grayson Haver Currin,
Pitchfork,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bumble. Accessed 31 May. 2026.
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