as in mistake
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy
fixed a minor blunder in the advertising flyer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to fumble
to make a mistake
even though the prosecution had blundered several times in presenting its case, it ultimately prevailed
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to stumble
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually
blundered his way through an acceptance speech
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 blunder
Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 20 June 2025
The Brewers took Grisham at 15, but his major-league debut in 2019 was soured by a fielding blunder that cost them the Wild Card Game against the eventual World Series champion Washington Nationals.
—Keith Law, New York Times, 18 June 2025
Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 10 May 2025
Gene and Wendell wouldn’t start to look for me until dark, and this bear was nothing to blunder into at night.
—Howard Copenhaver, Outdoor Life, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blunder
Noun
Whereas the Pacers had their lowest giveaway total of the championship round in Game 6, OKC had its highest turnover game of the playoffs, with 23 blunders leading to 32 Indiana points.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 20 June 2025
The Brewers took Grisham at 15, but his major-league debut in 2019 was soured by a fielding blunder that cost them the Wild Card Game against the eventual World Series champion Washington Nationals.
—Keith Law, New York Times, 18 June 2025
Verb
But rather than punishing the mistake, the Olympian immediately blundered his rook, leaving it exposed to Eze’s knight.
—Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 10 May 2025
Gene and Wendell wouldn’t start to look for me until dark, and this bear was nothing to blunder into at night.
—Howard Copenhaver, Outdoor Life, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blunder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blunder
Noun
-
Skull emoji: This emoji is often used to mock someone's mistake or appearance.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
21 July 2025
-
But when mistakes are punished or hidden, innovation stops in its tracks.—
IESE Business School,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
Verb
-
But then Superman lost flight and Warners fumbled the lucrative Reeve franchise greatly.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
8 July 2025
-
Ferguson couldn't find the end zone once, and even fumbled the ball four times, after preventing fumbles entirely during his first two seasons in the league.—
Justin Grasso,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
Verb
-
Symptoms include shivering, memory loss, stumbling, confusion and sleepiness.—
Jalen Williams,
Freep.com,
23 July 2025
-
Nonetheless, everything in Yountville is a short stroll, or stumble, from Jessup.—
Lela London,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
Noun
-
Without a robust knowledge foundation, these early wins can mask serious risks—from compliance breaches to costly decision errors.—
Stéphane Donzé,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
-
Pilot error caused the crash, according to a final report from the National Transportation Safety Board.—
Perry Vandell,
AZCentral.com,
25 July 2025
Verb
-
With no direct service, plane trips back to the U.S. can take upwards of 19 hours.—
William P. Barrett,
Forbes.com,
19 July 2025
-
Filmmakers clearly constructed all these scenes, a fact that neither trips our ethical wires nor stops our biological reactions.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
16 July 2025
Verb
-
The party of the president usually struggles in a midterm election like next year's race to replace Peters.—
M.L. Elrick,
Freep.com,
23 July 2025
-
But AmeriCorps officials have struggled in recent years to provide financial information to auditors and have acknowledged the need for reforms.—
Dan Horn,
The Enquirer,
23 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Blunder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blunder. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share