as in clumsy
showing or marked by a lack of skill and tact (as in dealing with a situation)
my future father-in-law shook his head over my fumbled attempt to compliment his daughter
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in blew
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 looked
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 stumbled
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
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Recent Examples of fumbled
Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 11 Aug. 2025
Josh Ireland, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
When Kahn fumbled Rivaldo’s shot from the edge of the box, Ronaldo was on hand to convert the rebound.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2026
In turn, the Heat fumbled it away.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 10 Feb. 2026
The attempt to create a viable and vibrant residential hub arrives after years of neglect and fumbled strategies by the prior owner, an affiliate of real estate firm Z&L Properties.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2026
But Jaylen Petty fumbled the outlet pass after the steal, and UCF (17-4, 6-3 Big 12) recovered to set up Fulks' jumper to go up by two possessions.
—Arkansas Online, 1 Feb. 2026
But Jaylen Petty fumbled the outlet pass after the steal, and UCF (17-4, 6-3 Big 12) recovered to set up Fulks’ jumper to go up by two possessions.
—Dallas Morning News, 31 Jan. 2026
Dosunmu plucked the ball away after it was fumbled by Norman Powell, who crashed to the ground as Matas Buzelis blew past him.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
Scott’s fumbled attempts to curtail outside influence on his agency raised further concerns at DHS headquarters about his leadership.
—Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
In the preseason opener, Mahomes was on the field for three snaps after the Chiefs recovered a fumbled kickoff to open the game.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 11 Aug. 2025
Verb
Cornell fumbled with Mercader’s clothing, trying to find them.
—Josh Ireland, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
When Kahn fumbled Rivaldo’s shot from the edge of the box, Ronaldo was on hand to convert the rebound.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2026
In turn, the Heat fumbled it away.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 10 Feb. 2026
The attempt to create a viable and vibrant residential hub arrives after years of neglect and fumbled strategies by the prior owner, an affiliate of real estate firm Z&L Properties.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2026
But Jaylen Petty fumbled the outlet pass after the steal, and UCF (17-4, 6-3 Big 12) recovered to set up Fulks' jumper to go up by two possessions.
—Arkansas Online, 1 Feb. 2026
But Jaylen Petty fumbled the outlet pass after the steal, and UCF (17-4, 6-3 Big 12) recovered to set up Fulks’ jumper to go up by two possessions.
—Dallas Morning News, 31 Jan. 2026
Dosunmu plucked the ball away after it was fumbled by Norman Powell, who crashed to the ground as Matas Buzelis blew past him.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
Scott’s fumbled attempts to curtail outside influence on his agency raised further concerns at DHS headquarters about his leadership.
—Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fumbled
Adjective
-
That makes the killers kind of human and fallible and clumsy, and these movies get a lot of mileage out of the slapstick shenanigans of their slasher chases.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Then, however, Phillips was sent off four minutes into the second half for a clumsy lunge at Svante Ingelsson, and suddenly Wednesday believed.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Her claim might have languished there—Thompson also expressed suspicions that Talarico’s campaign was responsible for deleting her Instagram account—but Colin Allred saw her post and blew his stack.—
Tad Friend,
New Yorker,
23 Feb. 2026
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Continue reading … SALTY FEELING — Team Canada star, who blew wide-open net chance, makes telling comment about loss.—
,
FOXNews.com,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Javits Center looked dim and pale, like an aging prototype of all the other blue-glass boxes on the West Side of Manhattan, a miscalculation that never lived up to the fantasy of a riverside prism reflecting the vibrant rhythms of New York.—
Andrew Norman Wilson,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
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Reinforcing the defense was a key objective this offseason, especially with the retirement of Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, but the team looked vulnerable in the counterattack.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Along the way, Cindy stumbled a bit and dropped her luggage in front of me.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
25 Feb. 2026
-
One regular shopper stumbled upon the scene of the shooting.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
When cutting food, holding the meat with the fork in an awkward vertical position.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
23 Feb. 2026
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Other awkward—and more viral—moments included OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei stealing the spotlight from Modi by refusing to hold hands for a photo op designed to be a show of unity and triumph.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Critics also complain that Dodge, known for its muscle cars, muffed its transition to hybrid power systems.—
Aldo Svaldi,
Denver Post,
1 Feb. 2026
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But early in the second half, with the Seahawks leading 17-13, Smith muffed another kick and the Seahawks recovered the ball.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Relations between India and Canada reached another low point nearly 16 months ago when Trudeau and police officials went public with allegations that Indian diplomats were targeting Sikh separatists in Canada by sharing information about them with their government back home.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Feb. 2026
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Quenneville reached the mark in his 1,825th game of a career highlighted by three Stanley Cup championships with the Chicago Blackhawks.—
Greg Beacham,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Despite the novelty of this world having been exhausted on me long ago, seeing twelve identical borzois in a row, echoing the ornate, spindly verticality of a Gothic revival palace, still tripped me out.—
Andrew Norman Wilson,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
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But Konan’s lawyer pointed out that the government similarly warned about crippling lawsuits when the Supreme Court, in 2006, considered a case brought by a woman who tripped over mail left on her porch.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fumbled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fumbled. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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