stumblebum

noun

Definition of stumblebumnext
1
as in palooka

Related Words

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2
as in fumbler

Related Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stumblebum The stumblebum energy disarms us, which makes the gruesome cruelty of the kills that much more disturbing. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026 As opposed to palookas and has-beens and tin cans and stumblebums, a player who got waived departed with his dignity intact. — Joe Queenan, WSJ, 2 Nov. 2018 Gerald Ford, for all his stumblebum image, was a Yale Law School graduate and veteran of legislative details. — James Fallows, The Atlantic, 20 July 2017 The physicians lining up with Teirstein are not a bunch of stumblebums afraid of a few tests. — Kurt Eichenwald, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2015
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumblebum
  1. palooka
  2. duffer
  3. slugger
  4. boxer
  5. prizefighter
  6. pugilist
  7. gladiator
  8. pug
Noun
  • Don’t be a palooka, start Nacua.
    — Bill Reinhard, New York Daily News, 12 Dec. 2024
  • One year after the Academy bafflingly ignored his work in Sideways, Giamatti finally scored his first Oscar nomination for his purely entertaining performance as boxing manager Joe Gould in Ron Howard’s proudly old-fashioned Depression-era palooka drama.
    — A.A. Dowd, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2024
Definition of palooka
Noun
  • Many weekend duffers buy their equipment at Dick’s Sporting Goods .
    — Tom Rotunno, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2026
  • Prior to 2023, when the streamer hosted its first live sports event—the Netflix Cup featured F1 drivers and pro duffers squaring off in a nine-hole match—the company brass were adamant about staying out of that lane.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Definition of duffer
Noun
  • The big slugger got $8,416,300 to sign and was in the majors a year later but has not been all the Tigers envisioned.
    — Chuck Murr, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
  • Athletics star slugger Nick Kurtz will start the All-Star Game after all.
    — Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of slugger
Noun
  • The opening minutes were relatively evenly matched as both teams felt each other out like boxers at the start of a major bout.
    — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 7 July 2026
  • Day-Lewis immersed himself in the sport for more than two years, going 350 rounds with his trainer, former Irish professional boxer Barry McGuigan.
    — Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026
Definition of boxer
Noun
  • But Ford had stripped these two unpainted entries down to the chassis, like prizefighters shedding final pounds before weigh-in.
    — Eric Moskowitz, The Atlantic, 31 May 2026
  • The explosive jazz‑rock pianist – known for redefining piano performance with the physicality of a prizefighter and the swagger of a rock guitarist – is set to turn the DIA’s auditorium into something closer to a sonic combustion chamber.
    — Duante Beddingfield, Freep.com, 24 Feb. 2026
Definition of prizefighter
Noun
  • The Antonoff of the early Bleachers albums was pop’s pint-sized pugilist, muscling his way to the front of the pack.
    — Walden Green, Pitchfork, 30 May 2026
  • In terms of skippers, our Frank Selee might rightly be considered more philosopher than a pugilist.
    — Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 6 May 2026
Definition of pugilist
Noun
  • Protected by the masks, the gladiators assume a secret identity and become national symbols.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026
  • For the first unveiling of the center to the public, the style icon went a touch more casual, opting for a pair of cool flare jeans paired with Jimmy Choo’s Ayla Sandals—the brand’s modern refresh of 2016’s gladiator sandals.
    — Kaitlin Clapinski, InStyle, 30 June 2026
Definition of gladiator
Noun
  • Short-muzzle breeds like pugs and bull dogs are at higher risk of heat stroke, as are older dogs, overweight dogs and dogs with medical conditions, according to Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine.
    — Eva Flowe June 22, Charlotte Observer, 22 June 2026
  • The black pug, named Shadow, was found trapped at the bottom of a deep hole at a construction site in Northern California on June 16, according to the Marin County Fire Department.
    — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 19 June 2026
Definition of pug

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Cite this Entry

“Stumblebum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumblebum. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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