as in mistake
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 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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of fumble
Todd Spangler, Variety, 15 May 2025
However, a fourth quarter fumble changed the momentum of the game.
—Dj Siddiqi, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 9 May 2025
The city has fumbled its response before, leaving residents wary of new promises.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fumble
Noun
The latest name change is an attempt to correct one of corporate America’s biggest branding fumbles, behind only to Elon Musk rechristening Twitter as X, said branding expert David Aaker, vice chairman at Prophet, a business strategy and marketing consulting firm.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 15 May 2025
However, a fourth quarter fumble changed the momentum of the game.
—Dj Siddiqi, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
Verb
Dropping it and having to fumble around on the floor would have killed her for sure.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 9 May 2025
The city has fumbled its response before, leaving residents wary of new promises.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fumble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fumble
Noun
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Choosing smoothies low in protein and fiber, adding sugary ingredients to your smoothie, and using low-calorie smoothies as meal replacements are just some of the smoothie mistakes that could be sabotaging your weight loss efforts.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
3 June 2025
-
After his first-inning throwing error, Pages made a mistake on the bases in the second.—
Jack Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2025
Verb
-
Failing to install the tax would blow an additional $80 million hole in Chicago’s 2026 budget as the city already faces a budget gap of around $1 billion, Budget Director Annette Guzman said.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
4 June 2025
-
Wind blows the dust into the atmosphere and begins moving it westward over the Atlantic Ocean.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 June 2025
Verb
-
The hip-hop artist groped Jones, the lawsuit states.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
13 May 2025
-
There is no indication that Twain groped or took advantage of any of these girls, but the information, which Chernow lays out like a detective, is disturbing and sobering.—
Dwight Garner,
New York Times,
13 May 2025
Verb
-
While sorting through storage in their Rhode Island studio to prep those reissues, Ivy stumbled upon a treasure trove of reel-to-reel tapes and old hard drives with unused material.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
4 June 2025
-
On a remote island in northern Norway, metal detectorists stumbled upon a pair of bronze treasures.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2025
Noun
-
Viewers speculated whether this was a blunder, power play or something else.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
27 May 2025
-
Many of the nation’s biggest military blunders occurred because there wasn’t enough diversity in the armed forces.—
John Blake,
CNN Money,
26 May 2025
Verb
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Comcast has even booted its own RSNs in California—NBC Sports Bay Area and NBC Sports California—to the Ultimate tier.—
Jason Clinkscales,
Sportico.com,
5 June 2025
-
The former district attorney staunchly defended her legacy Wednesday morning, almost seven months to the day after voters booted her from office in an unprecedented recall election.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
4 June 2025
Verb
-
Hill is on a Hall of Fame trajectory, and looked first ballot-worthy until last season, when his antics, side babies, lawsuits and now a divorce finally overshadowed underwhelming play.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
28 May 2025
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Meanwhile, Lilo & Stitch is looking at a second frame of $60M, off 59%, which is in the vicinity of previous Disney Memorial Day live-action takes of classic toons Aladdin (-53%) and Little Mermaid (57%).—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
28 May 2025
Verb
-
Piper Niven tripped Vega while Green was distracting the referee before Raw went to break.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
-
There’s never been any danger that Christopher McQuarrie would trip, fall, and accidentally make Barry Lyndon.—
Paul A. Thompson,
Pitchfork,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fumble. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.
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