as in mistakes
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy
played the entire piano piece without a single fumble
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fumbles
Meg Anderson, NPR, 13 Oct. 2025
Receiver Zay Flowers lost two fumbles in the second half, giving Matthew Stafford and the now 4-2 Rams extra chances to put the game away.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Warner has also forced two fumbles and recovered one this season.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2025
Warner has forced two fumbles (recovered one), defended three passes, made two tackles for loss, and was at the epicenter of last Thursday’s game-ending fourth-down stop in Los Angeles.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 11 Oct. 2025
Eagan lost two fumbles and threw an interception upping its season turnover total to 18.
—Mike Cook, Twin Cities, 11 Oct. 2025
In the first half alone, FIU lost two fumbles — Devonte Lyons had the other one — had one pass intercepted and one punt deflected.
—Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2025
Charlotte forced two fumbles in the first half, with defensive linemen Caleb Irving and linebacker Reid Williford punching the ball out to stop the bleeding early in the action.
—Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 4 Oct. 2025
Where the movie fumbles is taking its foot off the gas, so to speak.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
Brian Moylan, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
While both teams were in position to flip some results, the Ravens have to feel a little snakebitten with how their games have played out, including a couple of fourth-quarter Derrick Henry fumbles.
—Scott Chasen, Kansas City Star, 28 Sep. 2025
Baltimore is smarting from that Monday home loss to Deroit -- but Crows would be 3-0 if not for a pair of Derrick Henry fumbles.
—Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
Drake London fumbles the ball against the Minnesota Vikings during the first quarter.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 15 Sep. 2025
Lake Mary’s O’Shea Faison fumbles after picking up the first down yardage.
—Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Aug. 2025
Noun
During the incident, one of the officers drops his gun and fumbles for it.
—Meg Anderson, NPR, 13 Oct. 2025
Receiver Zay Flowers lost two fumbles in the second half, giving Matthew Stafford and the now 4-2 Rams extra chances to put the game away.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Warner has also forced two fumbles and recovered one this season.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2025
Warner has forced two fumbles (recovered one), defended three passes, made two tackles for loss, and was at the epicenter of last Thursday’s game-ending fourth-down stop in Los Angeles.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 11 Oct. 2025
Eagan lost two fumbles and threw an interception upping its season turnover total to 18.
—Mike Cook, Twin Cities, 11 Oct. 2025
In the first half alone, FIU lost two fumbles — Devonte Lyons had the other one — had one pass intercepted and one punt deflected.
—Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2025
Charlotte forced two fumbles in the first half, with defensive linemen Caleb Irving and linebacker Reid Williford punching the ball out to stop the bleeding early in the action.
—Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 4 Oct. 2025
Where the movie fumbles is taking its foot off the gas, so to speak.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
Iain also makes a good-looking tart with raspberries and white chocolate (gag) on the top but then somehow fumbles it while trying to put it on his display stand.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
While both teams were in position to flip some results, the Ravens have to feel a little snakebitten with how their games have played out, including a couple of fourth-quarter Derrick Henry fumbles.
—Scott Chasen, Kansas City Star, 28 Sep. 2025
Baltimore is smarting from that Monday home loss to Deroit -- but Crows would be 3-0 if not for a pair of Derrick Henry fumbles.
—Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
Drake London fumbles the ball against the Minnesota Vikings during the first quarter.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 15 Sep. 2025
Lake Mary’s O’Shea Faison fumbles after picking up the first down yardage.
—Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fumbles
Noun
-
This is true for tour guides, who witness the majority of these mistakes firsthand on the ground.—
Jillian Dara,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Great coaches such as John Wooden, Phil Jackson, Nick Saban and Pete Carroll integrated a variety of mental health techniques to help players reduce stress and mistakes while increasing focus, confidence and flow.—
Elan Gepner-Dales,
Rolling Stone,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Farming them also drives desertification in Mongolia, where the dust blows high in June, polluting the air as far afield as America, and making workers ill.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Oct. 2025
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Some games, like ones against the Bears and Panthers, this team blows golden opportunities to get into the win column.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In the video, a woman exposes herself and an officer, identified by investigators as Herman, gropes her, police said in a statement last year.—
Kirsten Fiscus,
Nashville Tennessean,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The trio stumbles upon a crucial piece of evidence - and promptly compromises it.—
Billie Melissa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
-
To summarize, the protagonist, lost in hopeless days, eventually stumbles upon a deserted dance hall.—
Billboard Japan,
Billboard,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Some began adding more blunders to the list when the Blue Jays dropped two games at the Rogers Centre to begin the ALCS — when Schneider offered up more pitching changes for fans to debate.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Vrabel will dial up a defensive plan that backs Cam Ward into blunders.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
As Avenged Sevenfold looks forward, Shadows is experiencing his own kind of liberation as an independent artist.—
Shirley Halperin,
Rolling Stone,
19 Oct. 2025
-
The chic, minimalist bow print gives it a preppy twist that looks great on long plane rides, road trips, and everywhere in between.—
Francesca Krempa,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Unlike overlapping or hook-and-eye designs that can get tricky, the zipper makes bathroom trips much easier—an incredibly practical feature.—
Brigitt Earley,
Glamour,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Dunkin’ Donuts, Mister Softee, trips to Bridgeport with her sister and her mother, a shabby zoo or a museum.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Ogles in August launched a fundraising effort to cover more than $120,000 in legal fees related to reporting errors in campaign finance reports.—
Vivian Jones,
Nashville Tennessean,
17 Oct. 2025
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The researchers warned these errors can have serious consequences, from denied housing to insurance issues, and called for more oversight and independent evaluations of canine DNA tests.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fumbles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fumbles. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
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