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
Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 27 Jan. 2025
And unfortunately for Washington, fumbles became a bad trend throughout this game.
—Scott Thompson, Fox News, 26 Jan. 2025
Jourdan Rodrigue, The Athletic, 19 Jan. 2025
The Chiefs received the opening kickoff, and rookie returner Nikko Remigio ripped off a 60-yard return, only to fumble the ball.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 18 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for fumble 
Noun
The Chiefs were driving, but a poor handoff between Patrick Mahomes and Isaiah Pacheco turned into a fumble, and the Bills recovered.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 27 Jan. 2025
And unfortunately for Washington, fumbles became a bad trend throughout this game.
—Scott Thompson, Fox News, 26 Jan. 2025
Verb
Stafford also had the ball slip out of his hands on pass attempts twice on a possession in the fourth and fumbled after taking a sack.
—Jourdan Rodrigue, The Athletic, 19 Jan. 2025
The Chiefs received the opening kickoff, and rookie returner Nikko Remigio ripped off a 60-yard return, only to fumble the ball.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 18 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for fumble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fumble
Noun
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Expert instructors will teach you how to get started, practical uses, tips for effective prompt-writing, and mistakes to avoid.—
Kamaron McNair,
CNBC,
15 Feb. 2025
-
Small mistakes, such as errors in Social Security numbers, income information, or deductions, can prompt the IRS to conduct a review, resulting in processing holdups.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
14 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The Spartans jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter, but blew the game open in the second behind Blair’s playmaking.—
Nathan Canilao,
The Mercury News,
16 Feb. 2025
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Finer orders pizza, Kate G. puts on music, Paige (receptionist) throws open windows to let crazy pre-rain breeze blow through.—
George Saunders,
The Atlantic,
14 Feb. 2025
Verb
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But when Johan’s groping hands move to William’s chest, he’s pushed away.—
David Opie,
IndieWire,
27 Jan. 2025
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At least 10 people said their genitals were groped or injured while restrained.—
Christie Thompson,
NPR,
18 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Liv hesitates, does awkward stumble toward her, drops head onto Sally’s shoulder.—
George Saunders,
The Atlantic,
14 Feb. 2025
-
But after entering the All-Star break holding a Wild Card, Boston stumbled almost immediately in the second half.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
11 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Just like when Trump recently helped legitimize Maduro by sending White House special envoy Richard Grenell to meet with the Venezuelan dictator and pose in smiling pictures with him, Trump’s de facto abandonment of pro-democracy groups in the hemisphere is a major blunder.—
Andres Oppenheimer,
Miami Herald,
7 Feb. 2025
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Foreign policy is hard, but this is just a very big early blunder.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
5 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Kuch booted him from the program, the former student alleges.—
Sara Coello,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Feb. 2025
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Trump's inspectors general firings generate some shrugs Trump's ongoing civil service shakeup saw more than a dozen inspectors general booted from their posts across the federal government Friday.—
Avery Lotz,
Axios,
26 Jan. 2025
Verb
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As for Ohio State, the Buckeyes just lost 65-52 to an undefeated UCLA team and will look to get back on track on Saturday in another top matchup.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
9 Feb. 2025
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As part of the study, researchers looked closer at the diversity of these communities in the four evacuation zones by using U.S. census and elementary school data to develop a profile of the people living there.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Its textured bottom grips the floor, preventing the mat from slipping or sliding, while its sloped edge is designed to reduce users’ risk of tripping over the mat.—
Maggie Horton,
People.com,
13 Feb. 2025
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Butler fit in fine, but the Warriors around him tripped over themselves.—
Danny Emerman,
The Mercury News,
9 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near fumble
Cite this Entry
“Fumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fumble. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.
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