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
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
Todd Spangler, Variety, 15 May 2025
However, a fourth quarter fumble changed the momentum of the game.
—Dj Siddiqi, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 20 May 2025
Gutierrez found the jury was confused by antitrust law elements and fumbled a calculation for damages by mistaking an overcharge with a discount.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fumble
Noun
The latest name change is an attempt to correct one of corporate America’s biggest branding fumbles, behind only to Elon Musk rechristening Twitter as X, said branding expert David Aaker, vice chairman at Prophet, a business strategy and marketing consulting firm.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 15 May 2025
However, a fourth quarter fumble changed the momentum of the game.
—Dj Siddiqi, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
Verb
Massey ranged to his left, lost his footing and fumbled the ball.
—Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 20 May 2025
Gutierrez found the jury was confused by antitrust law elements and fumbled a calculation for damages by mistaking an overcharge with a discount.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fumble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fumble
Noun
-
Choosing smoothies low in protein and fiber, adding sugary ingredients to your smoothie, and using low-calorie smoothies as meal replacements are just some of the smoothie mistakes that could be sabotaging your weight loss efforts.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
3 June 2025
-
Brian Fuhrer stared at the numbers in front of him and was certain somebody had made a mistake.—
Josef Adalian,
Vulture,
2 June 2025
Verb
-
Failing to install the tax would blow an additional $80 million hole in Chicago’s 2026 budget as the city already faces a budget gap of around $1 billion, Budget Director Annette Guzman said.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
4 June 2025
-
Wind blows the dust into the atmosphere and begins moving it westward over the Atlantic Ocean.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 June 2025
Verb
-
There is no indication that Twain groped or took advantage of any of these girls, but the information, which Chernow lays out like a detective, is disturbing and sobering.—
Dwight Garner,
New York Times,
13 May 2025
-
The hip-hop artist groped Jones, the lawsuit states.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
13 May 2025
Verb
-
While sorting through storage in their Rhode Island studio to prep those reissues, Ivy stumbled upon a treasure trove of reel-to-reel tapes and old hard drives with unused material.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
4 June 2025
-
On a remote island in northern Norway, metal detectorists stumbled upon a pair of bronze treasures.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2025
Noun
-
Viewers speculated whether this was a blunder, power play or something else.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
27 May 2025
-
Many of the nation’s biggest military blunders occurred because there wasn’t enough diversity in the armed forces.—
John Blake,
CNN Money,
26 May 2025
Verb
-
Comcast has even booted its own RSNs in California—NBC Sports Bay Area and NBC Sports California—to the Ultimate tier.—
Jason Clinkscales,
Sportico.com,
5 June 2025
-
The former district attorney staunchly defended her legacy Wednesday morning, almost seven months to the day after voters booted her from office in an unprecedented recall election.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
4 June 2025
Verb
-
Below take a peak at the best red carpet looks at the 2025 Tony Awards.—
Robyn Mowatt,
Essence,
9 June 2025
-
Additionally, Get Sh*t Done’s Rebecca Rowntree will look at what happens when humans and AI collide, and Accenture Song’s Nick Law will speak about the work creatives have to do to dignify emerging technology with human empathy.—
Paula Hendrickson,
Variety,
9 June 2025
Verb
-
Piper Niven tripped Vega while Green was distracting the referee before Raw went to break.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
-
There’s never been any danger that Christopher McQuarrie would trip, fall, and accidentally make Barry Lyndon.—
Paul A. Thompson,
Pitchfork,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fumble. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share