1
as in blowing
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in groping
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 stumbling
to make a mistake
just when it looked like he was going to get away with the ruse, he fumbled
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in uncomfortable
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fumbling
Adjective
-
But beneath the glittering headlines lies the uncomfortable truth: the advertised jackpot is not the real prize, the odds are stacked against players, and the system relies heavily on the very people most vulnerable to financial strain.—
Doug Melville,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025 -
An uncomfortable Lydia attempted to change the subject, but her dad kept going.—
Liza Esquibias,
People.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Brian Cashman, though, is still looking at every option on the table.—
Kevin Sabet,
Newsweek,
24 Mar. 2025
-
Panama was first to appear onto the pitch after the halftime break, looking spirited and hungry for the second half.—
Felipe Cardenas,
The Athletic,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Don't Use An Extension Cord In general, extension cords aren't a great idea because of the tripping hazard and the potential for overheating.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
5 Jan. 2025
-
For older people with weaker bones, tripping while walking can sometimes cause a fracture.—
Maggie Aime, MSN,
Health,
25 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
The police chief said a wooden plank was placed to barricade some of the side doors, and that authorities found a smoke bomb but no explosives at the scene.—
Mara H. Gottfried,
Twin Cities,
28 Aug. 2025
-
Or there’s Al Trabucco da Mimì on Italy’s Gargano coast, which is a traditional wooden fishing structure turned restaurant that also offers a small handful of charming rooms for rent.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Theirs is a different reality Part of Williams reaching his potential will involve taking fewer sacks.—
Kevin Fishbain,
The Athletic,
8 Jan. 2025
-
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was slightly milder, reaching a high of near 26, which could go up to 28 on Thursday, the Weather Service said.—
Elizabeth Weise,
USA TODAY,
8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Pedrad made history as the first Iranian American castmember on Saturday Night Live, before bending age and gender to play a gawky 14-year-old Persian American boy in the coming-of-age sitcom Chad.—
Dan Bilefsky,
HollywoodReporter,
25 July 2025
-
Agnes has a gawky, floppy-haired beauty, a gently appraising stare, quizzically arching eyebrows, and a tendency to listen with her mouth half open, as if in anticipation of a punch line that will take her, and us, by surprise.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
20 June 2025
Adjective
-
On the other, the quick and almost casual way in which Kirsh runs through what he’s figured out is emblematic of an ungainly episode that seems in a rush to get through a lot of things, especially where the Xenomorph is concerned.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
19 Aug. 2025
-
What passes for governance is thus an ungainly patchwork of formal and informal institutions.—
Stewart Patrick,
Foreign Affairs,
6 Dec. 2013
Verb
-
They were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole at ages 18 and 21 after being convicted of murdering their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home in 1989.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Apr. 2025
-
Eleven years after attorney Sarah Morgan defended her husband, Adam, against the charge of murdering his mistress, she's changed careers and started a family with a new husband, Bob Miller.—
Lizz Schumer,
People.com,
12 Apr. 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
“Fumbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fumbling. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share