as in mistake
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy
played the entire piano piece without a single fumble
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to blow
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 to grope
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 to stumble
to make a mistake
just when it looked like he was going to get away with the ruse, he fumbled
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in uncomfortable
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of fumble
Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2026
Hart opened the night by chesting up Johnson and forcing a fumble out of bounds.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026
Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
As print and television media fumbled their way online, Gawker used the internet to pull back the curtain on celebrity, mainstream media, politics and creeping commercialism.
—Frank Digiacomo, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2026
Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
Signs of hypothermia in adults include shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling hands, memory loss, slurred speech and drowsiness.
—Jarrod Wardwell, Houston Chronicle, 26 Jan. 2026
Kamal Ahmed, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
With the title in their grasp, the Ducks have greased up their fingers, fumbling into a four-game winless slump.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fumble
Noun
Had five interceptions for the Rockets over the past three seasons and also forced eight fumbles, including four in 2023 and three last year.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2026
Hart opened the night by chesting up Johnson and forcing a fumble out of bounds.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
But Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace hit three-pointers while Smart was fumbling the ball and James and Hachimura were missing shots, while an Oklahoma City 8-0 run eventually gave them another 13-point lead that was never again challenged.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
As print and television media fumbled their way online, Gawker used the internet to pull back the curtain on celebrity, mainstream media, politics and creeping commercialism.
—Frank Digiacomo, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2026
Adjective
That bond helped buoy Stevenson through hard days, which peaked with the return of a fumbling problem that dogged him last year.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
Signs of hypothermia in adults include shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling hands, memory loss, slurred speech and drowsiness.
—Jarrod Wardwell, Houston Chronicle, 26 Jan. 2026
Verb
Be ill-prepared for Christmas and face the danger of fumbling your most profitable time of the year.
—Kamal Ahmed, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
With the title in their grasp, the Ducks have greased up their fingers, fumbling into a four-game winless slump.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fumble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fumble
Noun
-
Both Velez and Farbstein gave me the 411 on what traveler mistakes can back up the security line.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
17 May 2026
-
The third mistake is using wine that is not cold enough.—
Noel Burgess,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
18 May 2026
-
Trump now faces a break-the-glass moment to avoid gas prices from blowing past Biden-era records highs.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
At a later date, the victim, whom police interviewed, gave Wright a hug in his classroom, and Wright kissed and groped the minor, investigators say.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
13 May 2026
-
Leverage Federal juries found Uber liable in two cases where one driver in North Carolina groped a woman and another in Arizona raped a woman.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
In other words, voters didn’t accidentally stumble into supporting term limits.—
Jovani Patterson,
Baltimore Sun,
16 May 2026
-
The Bucs gave up nearly 26 points per game in the final two months of the season while stumbling to a 2-7 finish.—
John Romano,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
Last year, as Zohran Mamdani gained steam in New York’s Democratic mayoral primary, Jeffries found himself in an increasingly uncomfortable position.—
Jason Zengerle,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
The uncomfortable truth is that in most organizations, nobody has a clear answer.—
Shiv Kaushik,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
18 May 2026
-
Trump now faces a break-the-glass moment to avoid gas prices from blowing past Biden-era records highs.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Tajul Islam, 55, is accused of groping and molesting the victims inside Masjid Bilal Queens on Sutphin Blvd.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Jennifer Jackson, 39, was charged with felony counts of groping a 15-year-old girl and vandalism.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
America is building the world’s most powerful artificial intelligence but stumbling badly in applying it.—
Drew Cukor,
Fortune,
11 May 2026
-
The mood in Venice is still borderline ecstatic, full of gossip, parties, and people chatting about art in their respective cities, trading business cards, discovering new talent, eating, drinking, and stumbling around, running into old friends.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fumble. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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