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
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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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Maybe teams won’t make the mistake the Avalanche did and move Rantanen too soon.—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
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On one hand, speed always enables Chinese players to adapt faster and, if necessary, correct mistakes faster.—
Neil Winton,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
Verb
-
Julia snuck some matchstick carrots into the potato mixture, then blew my socks off with a punchy, springy topping of feta, mint, dill, and chives.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
23 May 2025
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That’s just the beginning, though—keep scrolling for more deals sure to blow you away (no pun intended).—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
23 May 2025
Verb
-
The hip-hop artist groped Jones, the lawsuit states.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
13 May 2025
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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
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No one stumbled into creating a billion dollar company, gingerly broke a world record, or cautiously planned and lived their peak life.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
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And then there are those, like Mia, who stumble on their birth families inadvertently.—
Barbara Demick,
New Yorker,
23 May 2025
Noun
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Viewers speculated whether this was a blunder, power play or something else.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
27 May 2025
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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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Royals second baseman Jonathan India booted a ground ball with one out.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
24 May 2025
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In a similar trajectory to Liberty, Southeastern Louisiana shocked and eliminated the No. 10 LSU Tigers in the opening game 4-3, booting them into the losers bracket.—
Allison Smith,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
Verb
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What to look for in a quality long-wear lipstick Wear time Many long-wear lipsticks include specific wear time claims in their advertising.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
28 May 2025
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Analysts polled by FactSet were looking for $3.21 in earnings per share and revenue of $3.12 billion.—
Brian Evans,
CNBC,
28 May 2025
Verb
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Pulliam saw the coyote emerge from the nearby woods and tried to distract it by throwing rocks, but tripped in the process.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
People.com,
20 May 2025
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The novelty of seeing string puppet rockers spin and levitate, often tripping and tumbling in stride to the delight of the audience, never gets old.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
17 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fumble. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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