as in clumsy
showing or marked by a lack of skill and tact (as in dealing with a situation)
my future father-in-law shook his head over my fumbled attempt to compliment his daughter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in blew
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 looked
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 stumbled
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fumbled
Adjective
-
And Hank’s own clumsy attempts at hypermasculine child-rearing often come from his father, Cotton (Toby Huss).—
Daniel Dockery,
Vulture,
7 July 2025 -
Gone are are the days of clumsy imagery and texts and fake sign-in pages that can be detected in an instant.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
3 July 2025
Verb
-
Carson Spiers and Andrew Abbott have looked good at the back of Cincinnati's rotation.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
-
Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso looked incredible in gold with a Milanese strap, as did several of the new complications, while Patek Philippe gave its Calatrava fresh momentum through subtle design evolution.—
Lily Templeton,
Footwear News,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Advertisement Advertisement To illustrate this point, consider the best man at a wedding who, instead of celebrating the couple, shares personal stories that only serve to embarrass them, often with awkward details that have no place in such a tender moment.—
Matt Abrahams,
Time,
12 July 2025
-
An historic night at Madison Square Garden on Friday night turned into an awkward moment in the wee hours of Saturday morning at the Taylor-Serrano 3 post-fight press conference.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
12 July 2025
Verb
-
She was named artistic director of Ballet Hartford in April 2024, choosing Connecticut’s Capital City to continue her illustrious career, having reached the professional pinnacle.—
Bernard Kavaler,
Hartford Courant,
5 Jan. 2025
-
Poland has now reached the final twice, losing on both occasions.—
James Hansen,
The Athletic,
5 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
The charge relates to Chelsea’s protests to referee John Brooks after his decision to award Ipswich a 10th-minute penalty, with goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen judged to have tripped Liam Delap.—
Callum Davis,
The Athletic,
3 Jan. 2025
-
The volunteer saw the 4-year-old run past Shin again, and Shin stuck her left foot out and tripped him, the affidavit said.—
Claire Osborn,
Austin American-Statesman,
2 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Glenn was also convicted in separate trials for two other murders: the June 19, 1975, killing of 28-year-old motel cook Daniel Van Lone during a botched robbery, and the June 27, 1975, murder of 19-year-old Army soldier Winfred Proffitt during a drug deal, according to The Denver Post.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
6 May 2025
-
After a botched rep of a five-on-five drill the team was running, star guard Marina Mabrey pulled the starting group into a huddle.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
5 June 2025
Verb
-
Risk of building up and matting hair: There is also evidence that castor oil may cause build-up and hair matting (also known as hair felting) in some people, but this is extremely rare.—
Brittany Lubeck,
Verywell Health,
4 June 2025
-
From long-lasting formulas to felt pens that behave almost like calligraphy markers, there’s an option for every skill level, eye shape, and makeup mood.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
And then in Joker 2, some people complained that the movie was ruined by the images on the screen and the sounds that accompanied them.—
Lexy Perez,
The Hollywood Reporter,
6 Jan. 2025
-
Believing their beloved team already ruined mock drafting for the next two months, New York Giants fans probably hope for a loss against a Philadelphia Eagles team expected to rest starters Sunday.—
Jeff Howe,
The Athletic,
4 Jan. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Fumbled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fumbled. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share