as in uncomfortable
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1
as in blowing
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 groping
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 stumbling
to make a mistake
just when it looked like he was going to get away with the ruse, he fumbled
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Recent Examples of fumbling
Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 28 Oct. 2025
One-word answers litter the path toward your desperate, fumbling attempt to get away.
—Jonny Thomson, Big Think, 1 Oct. 2025
No stars are required to dress up and parade for the cameras or to answer fumbling questions from the press; no juries haggle over prizes; and, above all, there is no obligation to observe the highly suspect principle that the latest thing is bound to be the best.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Andrew McCarty, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
In Week 2, McCarthy played poorly, throwing two interceptions and fumbling three times.
—Ben Morse, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025
Gaines got some redemption with his TD after fumbling on a third-and-goal run in the first quarter.
—Jim Keyser, Idaho Statesman, 25 Oct. 2025
There is no right moment, and the early scenes are about fumbling steps and the tentativeness of awkward new roles.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 Oct. 2025
In other words, no more blaring commercials leaving viewers fumbling for the remote — platforms like Paramount+ and Netflix are going to have to figure out how to keep the product-hawking at an equivalent volume to their films and series.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2025
But the Patriots gave it right back as Rhamondre Stevenson, who has had trouble fumbling early this season, was stripped after catching a pass from Maye.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Although the scoring position turnover trend continued, with CJ Stokes and Javen Nicholas fumbling in plus-territory on consecutive drives in the third quarter, the offense was much improved with Wilcke in the game.
—Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 4 Oct. 2025
But Henry hasn’t made a habit of fumbling throughout his career, so this is an unusual stretch.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Rhamondre Stevenson continues to run hard, freed (for now) from the demons that followed his fumbling issues early in the season.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 28 Oct. 2025
One-word answers litter the path toward your desperate, fumbling attempt to get away.
—Jonny Thomson, Big Think, 1 Oct. 2025
No stars are required to dress up and parade for the cameras or to answer fumbling questions from the press; no juries haggle over prizes; and, above all, there is no obligation to observe the highly suspect principle that the latest thing is bound to be the best.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Verb
Jones threw three interceptions while fumbling the ball three times - losing two - as Indianapolis picked up its second loss of the season.
—Andrew McCarty, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
In Week 2, McCarthy played poorly, throwing two interceptions and fumbling three times.
—Ben Morse, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025
Gaines got some redemption with his TD after fumbling on a third-and-goal run in the first quarter.
—Jim Keyser, Idaho Statesman, 25 Oct. 2025
There is no right moment, and the early scenes are about fumbling steps and the tentativeness of awkward new roles.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 Oct. 2025
In other words, no more blaring commercials leaving viewers fumbling for the remote — platforms like Paramount+ and Netflix are going to have to figure out how to keep the product-hawking at an equivalent volume to their films and series.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2025
But the Patriots gave it right back as Rhamondre Stevenson, who has had trouble fumbling early this season, was stripped after catching a pass from Maye.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Although the scoring position turnover trend continued, with CJ Stokes and Javen Nicholas fumbling in plus-territory on consecutive drives in the third quarter, the offense was much improved with Wilcke in the game.
—Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 4 Oct. 2025
But Henry hasn’t made a habit of fumbling throughout his career, so this is an unusual stretch.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 26 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fumbling
Adjective
-
My seat is hard and uncomfortable.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Whoever dispatched that ambulance might be one of many employees at the Department of Emergency Communications who have felt uncomfortable, yelled at and trapped between their calling to help people and what several current and former dispatchers have called a hostile work environment.—
Kirsten Fiscus,
Nashville Tennessean,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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That team pulled off this same trick, blowing the doors off all comers until slipping past USC.—
Pete Sampson,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
-
The space was stifling in the Louisiana heat, so fans were blowing for everyone inside.—
Luke Chinman,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But the Jets have been mostly inept for a decade and a half, and the franchise has been groping for some sort of good fortune.—
Robert Marvi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
-
The initial incident occurred at the semi-annual Monster-Mania Con in Cherry Hill, New Jersey in August 2022, with several women who posed with Busey accusing the actor groping them.—
Daniel Kreps,
Rolling Stone,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Seven years of stumbling around.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
After stumbling into a massive camp full of refugees from Nilfgaard’s ongoing campaign, Geralt winds up witness to a witch trial.—
Scott Meslow,
Vulture,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Lee first presented Xi with a wooden board for the chess game Go.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Bake in preheated oven until golden and a wooden pick inserted 1-inch deep into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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When Souleymane rehearses his account, in an early scene, Barry admonishes him for blandly reciting (and often bungling) the false facts he’s been given.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The British company Lumie, which specializes in modern-looking light-therapy lamps, recently launched the Lumie Dash ($225), a compact, ten-thousand-lux model that comes in friendly colors like terra-cotta and pistachio.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
7 Nov. 2025
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In the meantime, the day-to-day work is on us—looking at our money honestly, making strategic moves, and refusing to let an unfair system keep us from building something better for ourselves and the next generation.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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In between all of that, a botched tripping call early in the second quarter took a huge pass play off the board for Miami, which would have gotten the Dolphins inside Baltimore’s 10-yard line.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
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McDaniel was blunt about his view of the tripping call against Ollie Gordon that negated a long completion to Jaylen Waddle.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fumbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fumbling. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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