as in humming
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
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1
as in fumbling
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 stumbling
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 chatting
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 bumbling
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
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
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
See All Example Sentences for bumbling
Verb
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
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
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
See All Example Sentences for bumbling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bumbling
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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Linde is the kind of stock that does well when the economy is just OK and superb when the economy is humming.—
Kevin Stankiewicz,Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
27 May 2026
Verb
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Like, for example, calling a risky trick play in South Bend that resulted in wide receiver Makai Lemon fumbling on first-and-10 from the Notre Dame 37-yard line down three points in the fourth quarter.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
25 May 2026
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The whole series comes down to the Cavs fumbling away Game 1.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
24 May 2026
Verb
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This includes people who do not know each other and who did not coordinate with one another to gather all somehow separately, hearing about Manhattanhenge (or simply stumbling across the crowd) and enjoying the view together.—
Chelsea Gohd,
Space.com,
1 June 2026
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The video then shows Henderson stumbling towards a wall in the area, where someone can be seen calling for help.—
Brittney Ermon,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
Verb
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Imagine that a person was mainly chatting on topics such as how to cook an egg or fix a car.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
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After chatting about the war in Iran, immigration and the economy, Clark asked Campa-Najjar what set him apart from other candidates.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 May 2026
Verb
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There’s no music overhead, but the buzzing blend of conversations makes for its own iconic orchestra.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
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But in 2022, the barrier was breached, and the flies have been relentlessly buzzing northward since.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
3 June 2026
Verb
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San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, who polled at 5% in the CBS survey, accused Becerra of bungling the federal government’s response to COVID-19, mpox and the influx in child migrants under former President Joe Biden.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
29 Apr. 2026
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And Kash Patel's FBI seems to be bungling the investigation at every step.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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After more than five innings of the Bulldogs trailing Liberty by one, struggling to get anything going, the Georgia third baseman crushed a two-run home run to left field.—
Sarah Spencer,
AJC.com,
1 June 2026
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Hezbollah's use of hard-to-detect fiber optic drones has been deadly for the Israeli military, which is struggling to respond.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 May 2026
Verb
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An introductory video includes views of the planet before zooming down to the Space Coast, flying over to downtown Orlando and zipping into the Dome.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 May 2026
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The robot could adapt the size of its legs either by zipping for height or unzipping for lowering down, which could be beneficial for the robot to manage exploring uneven surfaces such as forest areas or canyons.—
Shirl Leigh
May 22,
New Atlas,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bumbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bumbling. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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