as in mistake
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy
played the entire piano piece without a single fumble
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of fumble
Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 8 June 2026
Barry Pearl's fumble became a memorable insult for fans of the 1978 movie musical.
—Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 2 June 2026
Joe Vardon, New York Times, 11 June 2026
Maye tossed eight interceptions and fumbled eight times last season.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for fumble
Noun
In 2022, Meiga had four tackles and forced fumble for the Nittany Lions.
—Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 8 June 2026
Barry Pearl's fumble became a memorable insult for fans of the 1978 movie musical.
—Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 2 June 2026
Verb
The Spurs had one more chance, but Stephon Castle fumbled the inbounds pass and pandemonium at Madison Square Garden followed.
—Joe Vardon, New York Times, 11 June 2026
Maye tossed eight interceptions and fumbled eight times last season.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for fumble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fumble
Noun
-
If circumstances had gone Spain’s way with more clinical finishing or a Cape Verde defender making a mistake, then the result would have been different and a lot of the chatter currently happening (including here) would likely not be happening.—
Patrick Sung Cuadrado,
CNN Money,
21 June 2026
-
In fact, according to Rakestraw, one of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is assuming the babies have been abandoned and removing them immediately.—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
20 June 2026
Verb
-
Corlys and Lohar find each other in the scrum and both land powerful blows before Corlys is thrown into the sea, leaving Alyn of Hull to finish off his father’s enemy.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
22 June 2026
-
Messi somehow blew a penalty kick in the eighth minute, when teammate Lautaro Martinez was brought down by Austrian defender Stefan Posch.—
Filip Bondy,
New York Daily News,
22 June 2026
Verb
-
Men gathered at village auctions to grope and prod Black people; the shapes of their muscles and strength of their teeth determined their value, babies included.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2026
-
In a 55-page complaint, the singer alleged the music mogul had groped her on numerous occasions, once trapped her inside a locked car for two hours as a form of punishment, and threatened her life.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Avila was crushed inside the Volkswagen, while Guevara allegedly stumbled to the Honda Accord, got inside, and drove off, according to court records.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
19 June 2026
-
When asked who played at Arrowhead Stadium, Comenencia stumbled for the name.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
For Meta, the problem started with what some industry experts called, in hindsight at least, a strategic blunder.—
Jonathan Vanian,Julia Boorstin,
CNBC,
14 June 2026
-
The Spurs fared well in the closing minute, aside from Fox’s blunder, but the attrition from the Knicks offense spreading them out did them in well before then.—
Jared Weiss,
New York Times,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
No Toy Story 5 isn’t taking long to boot Steven Spielberg’s alien thriller Disclosure Day out of the top spot at the domestic box office.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
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But Edson Álvarez jumped high to boot it away from the goal line with an overhead kick, landing on his back in the process.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
Despite its nickname, June's moon won't look red like a strawberry, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
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Years of uncertainty followed, as Britain and the European Union wrangled over what their future trading relationship would look like.—
Hanna Ziady,
CNN Money,
22 June 2026
Verb
-
Unfortunately, that last part seems to trip some people up.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
-
Germany was awarded the penalty shot after Felix Nmecha was tripped in the box by Riechedly Bazoer.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fumble. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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