as in uncomfortable
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fumbling
Adjective
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But after a smattering of deeply uncomfortable and boundary-crossing hangs, Austin decides to sever ties with Craig, who slowly loses his mind trying to win back his erstwhile buddy.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
24 May 2025 -
The film is also an introspective interrogation of Cruise's stardom, confronting its main character with uncomfortable realities: his world is artificial, insulated, and fleeting, and his multimillion-dollar good looks could disappear in an instant.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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Experts estimate that as many as 3,500 wooden carousels were built at the turn of the 20th century – and only 150 are left.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
26 May 2025
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Carpenter ants: Carpenter ants chew tunnels and chambers in structural timbers, wooden fences, trellises, and outdoor furniture.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
25 May 2025
Verb
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The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society is looking for volunteers for its annual tree-planting event next month.—
Isaac Avilucea,
Axios,
24 Mar. 2025
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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
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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
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For older people with weaker bones, tripping while walking can sometimes cause a fracture.—
Maggie Aime, MSN,
Health,
25 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Theirs is a different reality Part of Williams reaching his potential will involve taking fewer sacks.—
Kevin Fishbain,
The Athletic,
8 Jan. 2025
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Chicago was getting freezing drizzle and then temperatures potentially reaching into the mid-to-upper 20s.—
Elizabeth Weise,
USA TODAY,
8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The one big cable that neither of the solutions could easily eliminate, however, is the big, gawky PCI Express power cable that runs in and out of a graphics card, which to an extent spoils the effect.—
John Burek,
PC Magazine,
20 May 2025
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Crumb’s gawky, eccentric persona was first revealed to the wider public in a 1994 documentary made by his friend Terry Zwigoff, which portrays the cartoonist with all of his incongruities.—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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That dispute was patched over by an ungainly agreement, negotiated between the European Commission and the U.S. government.—
Henry Farrell,
Foreign Affairs,
3 Apr. 2025
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Examples imported from 1975 through 1985 had rather ungainly impact bumpers, so early, chrome-bumper cars are aesthetically more desirable.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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These transitions, between past and present, are sometimes clumsy but sometimes genuinely sweet, as with an old letter that near-simultaneously is dictated and written, received and read, and finally rediscovered (and only partially understood) in the 21st century.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
27 May 2025
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Wildlife officials helped remove a black bear found hanging out in the kitchen of a Kentucky home after an impressive, yet clumsy break-in, photos show.—
Mitchell Willetts,
Kansas City Star,
25 May 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Fumbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fumbling. Accessed 1 Jun. 2025.
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