bumbling
adjective
bum·bling
ˈbəm-b(ə-)liŋ 
: awkwardly blundering or faltering
a bumbling speaker
: prone to or marked by foolish mistakes
a bumbling attempt to fix the problem
… many Americans see the F.D.A. as bumbling and inefficient …—
Herbert Burkholz
Herbert Burkholz
bumblingly
adverb
… none of them truly wants him in her home while he tries, bumblingly, to get his act together …
—Laura Collins-Hughes
Laura Collins-Hughes
Examples of bumbling in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Except, where this troublemaker is concerned, Stitch remains animated, while practically all the other characters are played by real people — including Zach Galifianakis and Billy Magnussen, in a pair of great physical comedy performances, as two bumbling aliens in human disguise.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 20 May 2025
The 800-page epic starts slowly, as McMurtry introduces readers to a couple of former Texas Rangers and their bumbling ranch hands in 1870s South Texas.
—The Atlantic, 15 May 2025
No, Carell confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter last year that his bumbling, big-hearted Michael Scott will not swing by the Toledo newspaper.
—EW.com, 14 May 2025
Jack comes across as a bumbling fool in a live TV interview about the trade, discussing the physical attraction of his dancers in a way that is very clueless for someone in his role.
—Oliver Sava, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bumbling
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.
Peter Debruge, Variety, 20 May 2025
The 800-page epic starts slowly, as McMurtry introduces readers to a couple of former Texas Rangers and their bumbling ranch hands in 1870s South Texas.
—The Atlantic, 15 May 2025
No, Carell confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter last year that his bumbling, big-hearted Michael Scott will not swing by the Toledo newspaper.
—EW.com, 14 May 2025
Jack comes across as a bumbling fool in a live TV interview about the trade, discussing the physical attraction of his dancers in a way that is very clueless for someone in his role.
—Oliver Sava, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bumbling
Cite this Entry
“Bumbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bumbling. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share