as in mistake
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy
when she was told her information was wrong, she apologized for the flub and immediately corrected it
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to fumble
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
added too much flour and flubbed the gravy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to stumble
to make a mistake
at some point in your training you're going to flub, so don't let it rattle you
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flub
Dominick Mastrangelo, The Hill, 11 Mar. 2026
Trump seemed to get a kick out of Obama’s flub.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 25 Feb. 2026
James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2026
Simeon Cottle, the leading scorer for Kennesaw State men’s basketball, stands accused of intentionally flubbing his performance in a March 1, 2024, game against Queens University.
—Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flub
Noun
Some observers pointed out flubs like Phillip’s are common during live television broadcasts or breaking news situations.
—Dominick Mastrangelo, The Hill, 11 Mar. 2026
Trump seemed to get a kick out of Obama’s flub.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 25 Feb. 2026
Verb
The insurance flub cost taxpayers roughly $30,000.
—James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2026
Simeon Cottle, the leading scorer for Kennesaw State men’s basketball, stands accused of intentionally flubbing his performance in a March 1, 2024, game against Queens University.
—Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flub
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flub
Noun
-
Unfortunately, admitting mistakes doesn’t come easily for many people.—
Hartford Courant,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
-
To avoid this big mistake, figure out in advance exactly how deep the hole should be, and be careful not to dig any deeper.—
Beth Botts,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But there’s a risk the Commission will fumble.—
Parmy Olson,
Mercury News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
There was an emotional honesty that embraced the idea that growth isn’t always linear (see Andie from The Devil Wears Prada, fumbling a relationship with a good guy because her career came first).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
During a routine survey in preparation for a housing development in Winsch, local authorities stumbled upon the former Roman camp in August 2025.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Clemson also stumbled to a 7-6 mark, a year after registering a 10-4 record in 2024.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Brown could have made a change to the starting lineup, as some expected after a blunder of a Mikal Bridges performance (zero points, four turnovers) in the Knicks’ Game 3 loss at State Farm Arena on Thursday.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
26 Apr. 2026
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Casey Schmitt made up for a baserunning blunder with a two-run homer, Drew Gilbert and Heliot Ramos added solo shots and the San Francisco Giants evened their three-game home series against the Miami Marlins at a game apiece with a 6-2 triumph Saturday afternoon.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The family documents describe comfortable lives and prosperous businesses blown apart by the war and the mounting Nazi menace.—
Andrew Silow-Carroll,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The focus narrows in on the remaining passengers and crew in the main sections of the aircraft not blown to bits, the cockpit and a stretch of the main cabin (finally, a reward for flying coach), precariously perched on a reef outcrop.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Because Hathaway was penalized for tripping Elmer Soderblom and and roughing Malkin, in addition to Konecny's roughing minor, Pittsburgh received a power-play.—
Garrett Behanna,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
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Space heaters provided heat, but the sloths were kept in the cold for at least one night after a fuse tripped.—
Ryan Brennan
April 27,
Kansas City Star,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Following a throwing error that allowed Trevor Story to reach with two outs, Marcelo Mayer drove an RBI double the opposite way off the Green Monster to give the Red Sox their first lead of the series.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
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The surplus turned out to be a mirage, based on a $165 billion error in revenue estimates over four years.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy botched an uncontested breakout pass, and Tage Thompson hounded Fraser Minten to force a turnover.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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After Maxey and Vucevic traded 3-pointers, the Celtics botched two entry passes for their 15th and 16th turnovers of the night.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flub.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flub. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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