bumble 1 of 2

verb (1)

ˈbəm-bəl How to pronounce bumble (audio)
Definition of bumblenext
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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bumble

2 of 2

verb (2)

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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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

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bumble
Verb
Reich plays this bumbling salesman version of himself that is distinctly not his Dropout persona. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 3 Mar. 2026 Perhaps this all was unavoidable for a proud player and often bumbling franchise. — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026 Kevin's dream of being home alone quickly turns into a hilarious nightmare and battle of wits when a pair of bumbling thieves attempts to break into his house. — Sophie Dodd, PEOPLE, 31 Jan. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for bumble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bumble
  1. hum
  2. fumble
  3. stumble
  4. chat
  5. buzz
  6. blow
  7. struggle
  8. chatter
Verb
  • Increasingly, the crux of the debate around AI’s sustainability has been focused on data centers, which make the nebulous concept of AI very concrete with their massive, humming warehouses full of servers and huge energy requirements.
    — Sasha Luccioni, Time, 3 July 2026
  • Project Bluestem Data centers emit humming sounds from generators, fans and other equipment.
    — Alexa Newsom, Kansas City Star, 2 July 2026
Definition of hum
Verb
  • Eugene Levy‘s fumbling birds and the bees talks comprise some of the funniest moments of American Pie — and most of them were improvised.
    — Gwen Ihnat, Entertainment Weekly, 9 July 2026
  • But in her concentration, Porsha fumbled her words, which made the Faithfuls, who were desperate for a crumb of evidence so early in the game, suspicious of her sincerity.
    — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 29 June 2026
Definition of fumble
Verb
  • The huge animals knocked bodies to the cobblestones, and stumbling runners caused several pileups during the two-and-a-half-minute run from the pen to the bull ring where bullfighters will kill the bulls later in the day.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 July 2026
  • The huge animals knocked down bodies to the cobblestones, and stumbling runners caused several pileups during the 2½-minute run from the pen to the bullring where bullfighters would kill the bulls later in the day.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026
Definition of stumble
Verb
  • The keyboard also offers features like voice-to-chat dictation and a quick mic mute/unmute key, giving you easier access to functionality.
    — George Yang, PC Magazine, 13 July 2026
  • Princess Charlotte and Princess Kate sat next to each other, chatting and laughing throughout the match.
    — Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 12 July 2026
Definition of chat
Verb
  • For the most recent earnings season, these forecasting fruit flies buzzed around modeling 12% earnings growth for the quarter.
    — Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
  • As the train approaches Portland, the view shifts again, with bridges, waterways, and buzzing streets.
    — Abby Price, Travel + Leisure, 4 July 2026
Definition of buzz
Verb
  • Allmendinger blew a tire and hit the wall with 25 laps remaining to cause another caution.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 July 2026
  • Moments before the first-half whistle was set to blow, Summit FC was given a golden opportunity to take the lead into halftime.
    — Spencer Baldwin, Denver Post, 13 July 2026
Definition of blow
Verb
  • Goldin, who also spent last season on a two-way contract with the Heat after going undrafted last year out of Michigan, struggled in Monday’s summer league loss.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026
  • Turkey struggled against the USMNT’s corners throughout the game, with multiple chances created from outswinging corners towards the penalty spot.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 14 July 2026
Definition of struggle
Verb
  • The youthful musicians chattered away like creatures of the Transylvanian night.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
  • That’s nothing more than a nonsensical, demonizing political narrative spewed by left-wing politicians and their brethren in the progressive chattering class.
    — Michael Zais, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 June 2026
Definition of chatter

Browse Nearby Words

bum (around)
bumble
bumbled
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Cite this Entry

“Bumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bumble. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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