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
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Recent Examples of fumble
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 19 Mar. 2025
There’s a lot to love with Tuten and his ceiling is super high, but the floor is extremely scary because of his fumbles.
—Steve Bradshaw, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
Boutayna Chokrane, WIRED, 18 Mar. 2025
The new electrically released adhesive makes removing the battery easier because it can be done with a jolt of electricity rather than fumbling with sticky strips, which can snap before the battery is released.
—Janhoi McGregor, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fumble
Noun
Too often last season, there were mistakes with play calls (especially in short yardage), a coaching inability to find solutions to revive the deep passing game, drops and fumbles (Hill, Waddle, Raheem Mostert all to blame), untimely penalties (by Julian Hill and others).
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 19 Mar. 2025
There’s a lot to love with Tuten and his ceiling is super high, but the floor is extremely scary because of his fumbles.
—Steve Bradshaw, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
Verb
Stash everything in your carry-on instead of fumbling at the checkpoint.
—Boutayna Chokrane, WIRED, 18 Mar. 2025
The new electrically released adhesive makes removing the battery easier because it can be done with a jolt of electricity rather than fumbling with sticky strips, which can snap before the battery is released.
—Janhoi McGregor, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fumble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fumble
Noun
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There is a huge difference between preparing with the obsession of not making mistakes and preparing with the desire to effectively convey a message.—
Chiara Alzati,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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Serious mistakes were made in that investigation, and agents were disciplined for botching applications to secretly obtain a surveillance warrant.—
Adam Goldman,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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What used to build brands now risks blowing them up.—
Remy Blumenfeld,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Apr. 2025
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Reliever Jorge Alcala blew a 99 mph fastball past Altuve in the seventh as the Astros star reached four strikeouts for the first time in a game since 2021.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Depardieu is accused of groping one of the women on the film set in front of three witnesses.—
USA TODAY,
USA TODAY,
24 Mar. 2025
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According to prosecutors, Depardieu allegedly held the 54-year-old woman with his legs, groping her waist and breasts as witnesses looked on, the AP reports.—
KC Baker,
People.com,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Forty-two years later, during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, Steves stumbled upon his diary, rereading passages about his formative trip.—
Laura Manske,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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Listen to this article The morning after his fifth suicide attempt, Rick Fisher stumbled to a church and pounded on the doors.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
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After coalescing with ultranationalists to establish the nation's furthest right government in late 2022, the former special forces commando who had already become Israel's longest serving premier largely deflected criticism over the intelligence blunder of October 7, 2023.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2025
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Yet, the Trump White House and leading Republicans in Congress have tried mightily to put a positive spin on the colossal blunder, even as Democrats pounced on it.—
Clarence Page,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Because booting up manufacturing facilities would take time, in the medium term domestic auto prices would likely increase and car sales decline, experts say.—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2025
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Also, Canada still won after manager Jesse Marsch got booted by referees.—
Chris Branch,
The Athletic,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Musk maintains that the company’s future remains bright A growing number of consumers who bought Tesla vehicles before Musk took over DOGE have been looking to sell or trade them in, while others have slapped on bumper stickers seeking to distance themselves from him.—
Michael Liedtke,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2025
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President Donald Trump's continued criticism of Germany’s failure to pay its defense bills looks to have pushed one of Europe's wealthiest nations into action.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
29 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Jennifer Coolidge, who originated the role of heiress Tanya McQuoid in Season 1, returned for Season 2, only to die by tripping and hitting her head on a boat and drowning.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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Standout episodes see the besties trip out with Anderson .Paak at Afropunk and shine a light on trans joy with Peppermint.—
EW Staff Published,
EW.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fumble. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.
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