fumble

1 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 blow, bobble, boggle, bollix (up), boot, bugger (up), bumble, bungle, butcher, dub, flub, fluff, foozle, foul up, botch, goof (up), louse up, mangle, mess (up), muck up, muff, murder, screw upRelated Words blunder, gum (up), muddle, piffle; blemish, blight, damage, flaw, harm, hurt, impair, injure, mar, mutilate, ruin, spoil, vitiate; destroy, wreck; mishandle, mismanageNear Antonyms ameliorate, better, enhance, help, improve, meliorate, rectify, refine, reform, remedy; doctor, fix, patch, recondition, renovate, repair, revamp

2 to search for something blindly or uncertainly the librarian fumbled for the light switch as she entered the dark room Synonyms feel, fish, grope, scrabbleRelated Words grabble; cast about, hunt, look, reach, seek (out); capture, clutch, corral, get, grab, nab, nail, seize, snatch; comb, dig (through), dredge, rake, ransack, rifle, rummage, scour

3 to make a mistake just when it looked like he was going to get away with the ruse, he fumbled Synonyms blunder, boob [British], flub, fluff, foul up, err, goof (up), louse up, mess (up), screw up, slip up, stumble, tripRelated Words nod; bobble, botch, bungle, butcher, foozle, mangle, mishandle, muff, murder; miscalculate, misconceive, miscount, miscue, misdeem, misgauge, misjudge, mistake; misconstrue, misinterpret, misunderstand