fumble 1 of 2

noun

Definition of fumblenext
as in mistake
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy played the entire piano piece without a single fumble

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

fumble

2 of 2

verb

ˈfəm-bəl How to pronounce fumble (audio)
1
as in to blow
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way her assistant fumbled the party plans by getting the time wrong on the invitations

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to grope
to search for something blindly or uncertainly the librarian fumbled for the light switch as she entered the dark room

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3
as in to stumble
to make a mistake just when it looked like he was going to get away with the ruse, he fumbled

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fumble
Noun
After Winston completed a 15-yard pass to Braxton Berrios, McCrary-Ball stripped the receiver, and Stiggers recovered the fumble in the end zone for a touchback. — Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 29 Aug. 2026 His third drive also ended in a turnover when Dolphins linebacker Jackson Woodard recovered Robinson’s fumble at the Miami 13. — ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
Verb
Olugbode fumbled in the second quarter but scored soon after. — Pj Green september 4, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2026 The company, which offers credit cards used to make rent and mortgage payments, had fumbled a critical transition, leading to confusion and financial stress for its customers. — Andy Kroll, ProPublica, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fumble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fumble
  1. mistake
  2. blow
  3. grope
  4. stumble
  5. blunder
  6. boot
  7. look
  8. trip
Noun
  • Well, his speed off the edge can cause a quarterback to make mistakes — the kind of game-changing mistakes from which the Chiefs did not benefit a year ago.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 7 Sep. 2026
  • In a work so dense with references, mistakes will sprout like crabgrass; write a big book on André Le Nôtre’s formal gardens and the earthworm experts will gather to deride your confusion.
    — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of mistake
Verb
  • But then on Sunday, McFarlane blew a save by serving up a three-run blast to Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr.
    — Andy McCullough, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Usually a cold front blows through a few days before the dove season opener.
    — Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of blow
Verb
  • Ibarra and an unspecified number of his friends reportedly groped a woman at the Buena Vista party.
    — Logan Smith, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Quaylin Wesley, 27, of Oakland and Vallejo, has been charged with 10 felonies for allegedly going into the girl’s room repeatedly on the night of June 13 and groping her, forcing her to touch him, and attempting to sodomize her, prosecutors say.
    — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of grope
Verb
  • But since then, Nosková has solidified while Sabalenka has stumbled, and the Czech has also gotten through some tough matches to reach this one.
    — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Byron Nelson stumbles again Normally an area power, Trophy Club Byron Nelson is off to a rocky start.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of stumble
Noun
  • There were mighty blunders off the field too under Jarmond, including an email that went out to donors that came with an attachment revealing personal information and spending tallies of the department’s biggest donors.
    — Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Common Mistakes When Cleaning Earbuds Take special care to avoid damaging your earbuds by avoiding these common blunders.
    — Emily Hayes, Martha Stewart, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of blunder
Verb
  • House Speaker Mike Johnson is tested by his narrow majority almost daily, and his predecessor, Kevin McCarthy, was the first in history to be booted from office, ousted by a small number of opponents from his own side.
    — Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Many foreign energy companies, including American oil majors ConocoPhillips and ExxonMobil, had their assets seized by Venezuela in 2007 during then-President Hugo Chávez’s nationalization drive and were booted out of the country.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of boot
Verb
  • If Lopez keeps playing this freely, the Deacons will make that prediction — and UNC’s handling of him — look ridiculous.
    — The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • In auditioning a snake, Ziegfeld looks each one in the eye, face-to-face, to evaluate the snake’s demeanor.
    — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of look
Verb
  • At one point Hussain, having to contend with more limited space in the box with another person in there, nearly trips over a box.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Gillian Jacobs as Jerri Dougan Gerry was the starting quarterback for the Catfish at the beginning of the first season until Danny (Frankie Rodriguez) — the school mascot who helps turn Russ into Chad and keep up his illusion — trips him.
    — Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of trip

Browse Nearby Words

fulsome
fumble
fumbled
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Cite this Entry

“Fumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fumble. Accessed 11 Sep. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fumble

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