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
Tidy living areas by fluffing pillows, folding blankets, and removing visible pet hair.
—
Maria Sabella, The Spruce, 16 Mar. 2026
Remove thick, dense piles of wet and matted leaves, or consider gently fluffing them up with a rake.
—Heather Zidack, Hartford Courant, 14 Mar. 2026
Following Odsonne Édouard's second-half equalizer, Tosin snatched three points for Lorient in the 65th minute, fluffing his initial attempt before rounding the Lens goalkeeper to score.
—ABC News, 14 Mar. 2026
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
Maria Sabella, The Spruce, 16 Mar. 2026
Remove thick, dense piles of wet and matted leaves, or consider gently fluffing them up with a rake.
—Heather Zidack, Hartford Courant, 14 Mar. 2026
Following Odsonne Édouard's second-half equalizer, Tosin snatched three points for Lorient in the 65th minute, fluffing his initial attempt before rounding the Lens goalkeeper to score.
—ABC News, 14 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fluffing
Verb
-
With the title in their grasp, the Ducks have greased up their fingers, fumbling into a four-game winless slump.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Last season’s Detroit Tigers endured the worst divisional collapse in history, fumbling an AL Central lead that reached 15 1/2 games in July.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Occasional raking keeps gravel looking neat, and leaf-blowing a few times a season clears fallen leaves.—
Elizabeth Jardina,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Lina cried out, stumbling backward.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Unlike the blue plaques affixed to residences in London, which indicate where notable figures once lived, or the Stolpersteine (or stumbling stones) embedded in the sidewalks of German cities to mark the former homes of Holocaust victims, Bucharest’s red disks are not commemorative but predictive.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Deadline revealed details of the changes last year, with executives dubbing the plan Project Ada.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
13 Apr. 2026
-
This gave rise to some constituents dubbing her Lori Tehran, which is the capitol of Iran, something which Grossi was quick to pick up and run with.—
Peter Lucas,
Boston Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Johnston was whistled for tripping Matt Boldy in the final minute of the first, and the Wild power play needed just seconds to give them their first lead.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
10 Apr. 2026
-
While tripping with the foot is not allowed, an ankle tap, which is performed with the hand, is considered a tackle and is permissible.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
These tenacious insects discreetly land on your skin, leaving sudden, itchy, and painful bites that can swell and turn red, ruining a perfectly pleasant outdoor evening.—
Louise Parks,
Martha Stewart,
18 Apr. 2026
-
While the couple was able to laugh it off in the moment, the majority of comments on TikTok were negative, with people accusing Zach of being an attention-seeker and ruining the wedding.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fluffing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fluffing. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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