1
as in fumbling
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 blowing
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 fluffing
Midfielder Pape Gueye netted the 94th-minute winner after Morocco’s star player Brahim Diaz had squandered the chance to win it for the home side by fluffing the last-gasp penalty in normal time following a 14-minute delay.
—
Reuters, NBC news, 18 Jan. 2026
Simply spend 60 seconds straightening your sheets, smoothing your comforter or duvet, and fluffing your pillows, and marvel at how the chore instantly makes your entire bedroom look neater.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Dec. 2025
The girl shook some snow out of her long hair, fluffing up her bangs with her fingers.
—Literary Hub, 8 Dec. 2025
After fluffing his for about an hour, contributor DaVonne Bacchus says this Douglas fir looked lifelike and didn’t have any needle loss.
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 1 Dec. 2025
Others focused on fluffing tails, polishing hooves or clipping hair.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, jsonline.com, 3 Oct. 2025
The brand recommends laying the topper flat to expand for several hours after removing it from the packaging, but shoppers note that fluffing it in the dryer before use also does the trick.
—Maggie Horton, People.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Filling is made up of individual fibers, which can be redistributed by fluffing the couch cushions.
—Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 4 Aug. 2025
Reuters, NBC news, 18 Jan. 2026
Simply spend 60 seconds straightening your sheets, smoothing your comforter or duvet, and fluffing your pillows, and marvel at how the chore instantly makes your entire bedroom look neater.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Dec. 2025
The girl shook some snow out of her long hair, fluffing up her bangs with her fingers.
—Literary Hub, 8 Dec. 2025
After fluffing his for about an hour, contributor DaVonne Bacchus says this Douglas fir looked lifelike and didn’t have any needle loss.
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 1 Dec. 2025
Others focused on fluffing tails, polishing hooves or clipping hair.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, jsonline.com, 3 Oct. 2025
The brand recommends laying the topper flat to expand for several hours after removing it from the packaging, but shoppers note that fluffing it in the dryer before use also does the trick.
—Maggie Horton, People.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Filling is made up of individual fibers, which can be redistributed by fluffing the couch cushions.
—Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fluffing
Verb
-
Since the first release in December, critics have accused the administration of fumbling the rollout and withholding too many documents.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Since the first release in December, critics have accused the administration of fumbling the rollout and withholding too many documents.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Wolves were determined to run him off the 3-point line in an effort to limit his effectiveness, but Bane countered by putting the ball on the floor and blowing by Minnesota’s perimeter defenders all game.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Ice crystals skittered across the plateau, catching in the curve of the sastrugi before blowing free.—
Cree LeFavour,
New Yorker,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Yas is not stumbling into evil unwittingly or being forced by circumstance.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Surveillance video from that night shows a man wearing a Blackhawks jersey entering the store, then stumbling out before a struggle spilled into the street.—
Darius Johnson,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Younger audiences, already accustomed to subtitles and dubbing through the global rise of K-pop, anime and other international media, proved especially receptive.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Critics claim Bock successfully shut down early scrutiny by dubbing it as racially motivated.—
Jonah Kaplan,
CBS News,
18 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Olen Zellweger committed a tripping penalty in overtime, but Anaheim killed the four-on-three disadvantage.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Olen Zellweger committed a tripping penalty in overtime, but Anaheim killed the 4-on-3 disadvantage.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Trump has long mocked Bush for ruining his presidency by invading Iraq, and his administration over the past week has sought to downplay any parallels between Bush’s misadventures and its own attack on Iran.—
Vivian Salama,
The Atlantic,
6 Mar. 2026
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The White House believed that that Iran was intentionally ruining the Mideast peace process, and then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich had called Iran the most dangerous nation on Earth.—
Brit McCandless Farmer,
CBS News,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fluffing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fluffing. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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