1
as in fumbled
to make a mistake
unnerved by her earlier missteps, the skater fluffed on the final jump as well
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in blew
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
I completely fluffed the introduction by calling the boss's wife by the wrong name
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fluffed
Sofa cushions, pillows, and throws would be fluffed and tidied and nearly all surfaces would receive a quick dusting.
—
Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 18 Apr. 2026
Newcastle talked the talk and then fluffed the walk, hobbling and tripping.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2026
The tiniest requests were dispensed with the utmost care; rooms were primped and fluffed three times a day; special requests for excursions efficiently booked; and dietary preferences noted and recalled with precision.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Mar. 2026
Then tumble dry on no-heat with tennis balls to keep them fluffed.
—Nashia Baker, Martha Stewart, 19 Feb. 2026
Hours later, the calf, fed and fluffed, took a spot on the couch with the Sorrell family’s two children.
—Dylan Lovan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Hours later, the calf, fed and fluffed, took a spot on the couch with the Sorrell family's two children.
—CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
For Jonathan Anderson’s vision of beauty at his first Dior women’s show in October, Guido Palau fluffed up models’ natural texture, not dissimilar from the windswept waves and pre-Raphaelite curls the hairstylist created for Veronica Leoni’s September Calvin Klein debut.
—Arden Fanning Andrews, Vogue, 28 Jan. 2026
Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 18 Apr. 2026
Newcastle talked the talk and then fluffed the walk, hobbling and tripping.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2026
The tiniest requests were dispensed with the utmost care; rooms were primped and fluffed three times a day; special requests for excursions efficiently booked; and dietary preferences noted and recalled with precision.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Mar. 2026
Then tumble dry on no-heat with tennis balls to keep them fluffed.
—Nashia Baker, Martha Stewart, 19 Feb. 2026
Hours later, the calf, fed and fluffed, took a spot on the couch with the Sorrell family’s two children.
—Dylan Lovan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Hours later, the calf, fed and fluffed, took a spot on the couch with the Sorrell family's two children.
—CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
For Jonathan Anderson’s vision of beauty at his first Dior women’s show in October, Guido Palau fluffed up models’ natural texture, not dissimilar from the windswept waves and pre-Raphaelite curls the hairstylist created for Veronica Leoni’s September Calvin Klein debut.
—Arden Fanning Andrews, Vogue, 28 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fluffed
Verb
-
Big shock, but the only goal came from an Arsenal corner as Riccardo Calafiori headed in a Rice delivery that was fumbled by Altay Bayindir (6ft 6in; 198cm).—
Art de Roché,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
-
Second baseman Luis Arraez had a chance to turn a double play on Montgomery’s grounder but fumbled the ball and had to settle for one out.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
The Avs blew a first-quarter lead.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
25 May 2026
-
The timing is simply right for New York, while Cleveland had its best chance to change that in Game 1 — and blew it.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
OpenAI, Google and Perplexity have rolled out research tools and agents for shopping, though some of those efforts have stumbled due to technical bugs or challenges with onboarding retailers.—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
27 May 2026
-
The Liberty have stumbled to a 3-4 record to start the season.—
Kels Dayton,
Hartford Courant,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
In the top of the second, with two runners on, David Hamilton hit a one-hop liner to center field that PCA simply muffed, allowing the ball to roll all the way to the wall and three runs to score.—
Dan Freedman,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
-
Critics also complain that Dodge, known for its muscle cars, muffed its transition to hybrid power systems.—
Aldo Svaldi,
Denver Post,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Knicks — the same clumsy team that tripped over itself for most of this century — are going to the finals for the first time since 1999.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
-
Darby tried a suicide dive, but tripped on the ropes and landed on the back of his neck for a scary landing.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
Rubio is the president’s top adviser on both national security and diplomacy at a moment when the United States has blundered into an unpopular war that appears to be a strategic catastrophe.—
David A. Graham,
The Atlantic,
11 May 2026
-
Padres fielders blundered in three of his outings.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fluffed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fluffed. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
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