Synonyms of fumbles

fumbles 1 of 2

noun

plural of fumble

as in mistakes

an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy

played the entire piano piece without a single fumble

Synonyms & Similar Words

• mistakes
• blunders
• errors
• stumbles
• miscues
• trips
• flubs
• gaffes
• bobbles
• missteps
• inaccuracies
• gaffs
• clangers
• screwups
• slips
• faults
• bricks
• lapses
• goofs
• slipups
• fluffs
• boobs
• oversights
• clinkers
• boo-boos
• pratfalls
• bloopers
• snafus
• howlers
• misunderstandings
• boners
• miscalculations
• misjudgments
• misstatements
• bloomers
• misinterpretations
• misreadings
• misconceptions
• foul-ups
• misconstructions
• misdescriptions
• misapprehensions
• misimpressions
• miscomprehensions

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• accuracies
• precisions
• exactitudes
• perfections
• infallibilities
• inerrancies

fumbles

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of fumble

1

as in blows

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

• blows
• bungles
• murders
• dubs
• botches
• flubs
• boots
• ruins
• bobbles
• fluffs
• bumbles
• muffs
• mangles
• fouls up
• destroys
• spoils
• boggles
• screws up
• damages
• injures
• butchers
• goofs (up)
• blunders
• mars
• mucks up
• flaws
• messes (up)
• wrecks
• buggers (up)
• hurts
• foozles
• muddles
• impairs
• mutilates
• louses up
• bollixes (up)
• harms
• blights
• gums (up)
• blemishes
• vitiates
• mismanages
• mishandles
• piffles

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• reforms
• improves
• helps
• enhances
• rectifies
• refines
• remedies
• repairs
• ameliorates
• betters
• fixes
• doctors
• meliorates
• patches
• renovates
• revamps
• reconditions

2

as in gropes

to search for something blindly or uncertainly

the librarian fumbled for the light switch as she entered the dark room

Synonyms & Similar Words

• gropes
• looks
• reaches
• feels
• fishes
• scrabbles
• grabs
• snatches
• clutches
• hunts
• rakes
• seizes
• rummages
• captures
• seeks (out)
• casts about
• nabs
• nails
• rifles
• grabbles
• combs
• ransacks
• dredges
• scours
• gets
• corrals
• digs (through)

3

as in stumbles

to make a mistake

just when it looked like he was going to get away with the ruse, he fumbled

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stumbles
• trips
• blunders
• flubs
• nods
• mistakes
• fluffs
• errs
• fouls up
• slips up
• lays an egg
• drops the ball
• screws up
• boobs
• misunderstands
• goofs (up)
• bungles
• botches
• murders
• messes (up)
• louses up
• muffs
• bobbles
• mangles
• misjudges
• miscalculates
• miscues
• mishandles
• miscounts
• misconceives
• misconstrues
• butchers
• misinterprets
• foozles
• misgauges
• misdeems

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of fumbles

Noun

Coleman caught two touchdowns, Brown ran for two, Smothers caught one and Biles forced two fumbles, including one that Graceson Littleton returned for a touchdown. — Sam Khan Jr, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026

Two-way lineman Elijah Patmon had three sacks and forced two fumbles. — Todd Holcomb, AJC.com, 10 Sep. 2026

That’s a less-than-ideal sign for the Bearcats, who were able to recover two fumbles in the contest and still came up short. — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2026

But Simpson wasn’t the only careless player in that Pro Bowl as there were 15 fumbles in the game, but only eight were lost. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2026

Donald was one of the most dominant defensive lineman in NFL history during his 10 seasons with the Rams, recording 111 sacks, 24 forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries. — Tom Tapp, Deadline, 30 Aug. 2026

An interception and two fumbles on exchanges by Jones effectively sealed the deal. — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2026

Wright had two fumbles last year on 75 touches and one fumble as a rookie on 71 touches. — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 22 Aug. 2026

Fundamentals like gripping the football properly to prevent fumbles, or tackling and lowering your hips to wrap up and drive a player rather than using shoulder pads or lowering the head, which put players at risk for neck and head injuries. — Ethan Hanson, Daily News, 21 Aug. 2026

Verb

Lake Mary’s Remy Jarman fumbles the ball on his run and Oviedo recovers. — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026

Buford scored 17 points off three Gainesville fumbles on punt plays. — Jack Leo, AJC.com, 25 Aug. 2026

Sims catches a hitch and turns up field but fumbles the ball while switching hands. — Miami Herald, 3 Aug. 2026

Tensions between the galley and the interior continue to escalate over lunch service, when a radio mishap fumbles the order in which the food should go out. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 26 May 2026

The movie fumbles the chance to do something arresting with this seminal period in art. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 12 May 2026

If the creditor fumbles the process, then an otherwise valid and collectible debt may be barred. — Virginia Hammerle, Dallas Morning News, 8 Mar. 2026

The Seahawks are a high-turnover team on both sides of the ball, but the 49ers have forced just two takeaways in the season series — both fumbles in the opener. — Michael Nowels, Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2026

The Honda backs up a few feet as the agent fumbles at the door handle. — George Petras, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026