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
-
Raw also advertised Bayley challenging Lyra Valkyria for the WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship, Penta vs. Dominik Mysterio and the world’s most clumsy GM Adam Pearce making his next fumble of the worst storyline going this WrestleMania season between Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair and Iyo Sky.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025 -
This is why the Trump administration’s DOGE exercise — while clumsy at times — is such an important endeavor despite Democratic efforts to discredit it.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
4 Apr. 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
-
In the end, Harris lost the opportunity to campaign for votes in key states, looked foolish in doing so, and got zero from her Joe Rogan experience.—
Amie Parnes,
The Hill,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
For introverts who might naturally lean toward a prevention focus—fearing rejection or awkward interactions—consciously developing a promotion focus can transform their job search approach.—
Caroline Castrillon,
Forbes.com,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Its Darcy, Matthew MacFadyen, was in his late 20s and still had an awkward, youthful reserve that turned out to be perfect for this version’s take on the handsome, distant gentleman who falls for Elizabeth.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
There had never even been a $1 trillion American company until Apple reached the milestone in 2018.—
Lev Akabas,
Sportico.com,
5 Jan. 2025
-
The right hand reached down and grabbed the handle of his ‘enforcer’ and started up with it.—
Jonathan Bullington,
Chicago Tribune,
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
-
That was a reference to the botched Tonight Show transition at NBC where O’Brien, then the popular host of NBC’s Late Night, was promised The Tonight Show to stay at NBC.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
3 Mar. 2025
-
Accidental reveal One Russian military blogger inadvertently revealed the extent of the Ukrainian advance during a botched effort to downplay the advance on Monday.—
David Axe,
Forbes,
1 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
However, the lurid thoughts communicated in Johanne’s prose are enough to send Kristin and Karin into a spiral over how Johanne could possibly have come to felt this way.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
24 Feb. 2025
-
In the viral video's comments section, viewers expressed their surprise that the felting process worked.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
19 Mar. 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 25 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share