How to Use flub in a Sentence

flub

1 of 2 verb
  • The ball went right to him but he flubbed the catch.
  • The actress flubbed several lines.
  • Reed flubbed his next attempt, leaving the ball in the rough.
    — Ron Kroichick, SFChronicle.com, 15 June 2019
  • And the film star flubbed up by borrowing money to fill the gap.
    — George Skelton, latimes.com, 14 May 2018
  • Fortunately for all, there were no name flubs this time around.
    — Taylor Weatherby, Billboard, 10 Feb. 2020
  • But Fowler flubbed his chance to score, getting picked off in the sixth inning.
    — Teddy Greenstein, chicagotribune.com, 7 June 2019
  • Patrick Reed flubbed a chip at the right of the 18th green and snapped his wedge over his thigh.
    — Eddie Pells, The Denver Post, 15 June 2019
  • Padilla flubs a line in this version, but the sketch is somehow the better for it.
    — Charu Sinha, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2025
  • But by that time the robber had already flubbed in his attempt at concealment.
    — Brian Ballou, Sun-Sentinel.com, 25 May 2017
  • Three flubbed serves on three consecutive trips put a damper on an otherwise good night.
    — Robert Avery, Houston Chronicle, 14 Aug. 2019
  • Biden has flubbed debates and failed to convince wealthy members of his party to open their wallets.
    — Jonah Goldberg, National Review, 4 Dec. 2019
  • Isner took that set on his third chance, when Anderson flubbed a forehand.
    — Howard Fendrich, BostonGlobe.com, 13 July 2018
  • When action resumed, Cilic flubbed two backhands to cede the set.
    — Howard Fendrich, courant.com, 14 July 2017
  • Many plays have strong beginnings and flub the ending, but Watkins here seems to have worked backwards.
    — Helen Shaw, Vulture, 23 June 2022
  • Earlier in the sequence, Malkin flubbed the puck but Laughton failed to clear it down the ice.
    — Sam Carchidi, Philly.com, 18 Apr. 2018
  • Like a good joke, the easiest way to flub the Joker is by explaining him.
    — Joshua Rivera, GQ, 23 Aug. 2017
  • This wasn’t the first time YouTube TV flubbed a major sporting event.
    — Ashley Carman, The Verge, 13 July 2018
  • Critics attacked Che for flubbing lines and Jost for his schoolboy smirk.
    — The Washington Post, NOLA.com, 9 Aug. 2017
  • Filmmaking is flubbing the catch, and sometimes knowing the fool that's to blame is yourself.
    — Susan Sontag, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Sanders flubbed one of his regular talking points — that three people have more wealth than the bottom half of the nation.
    — NBC News, 31 July 2019
  • Aguilera flubbed the national anthem and didn’t show up for her reservation.
    — Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas News, 6 June 2023
  • Small Business Advice has had the site for years, not just since Mnuchin flubbed the address.
    — Philip Elliott, Time, 13 May 2020
  • To not only be the face of the most visible football team in America, but to never flub it once.
    — Mac Engel, star-telegram, 3 May 2018
  • Goldman held serve, but then flubbed a volley into the net in the next game to give the lead back to Newport Harbor.
    — Sam Dodge, latimes.com, 1 June 2018
  • The Huskers went 1-5 in one-score games last season and flubbed their chance Saturday to notch a big-time road win.
    — Teddy Greenstein, chicagotribune.com, 9 Sep. 2019
  • The newspaper industry, again and again, has flubbed its chance to propel itself into the future.
    — David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Eugenio Suárez doubled and scored when Abreu flubbed Cal Raleigh’s routine grounder.
    — Chris Talbott, Chron, 7 May 2023
  • In one version, the numbers showed that a gun control measure worked — and Republicans kept flubbing the math.
    — Nicholas Kristof, Anchorage Daily News, 19 Feb. 2018
  • Passes often don’t land on the tape for a shooter and one-time shots are often flubbed or taken a second or two too late because the puck has to be settled first.
    — Eric Stephens, Orange County Register, 5 Feb. 2017
  • After allowing a double to lead off the inning, Morris flubbed the catch while covering first on a grounder, putting men at first and third.
    — Ryan Ford, Detroit Free Press, 26 Mar. 2020

flub

2 of 2 noun
  • Trump seemed to get a kick out of Obama’s flub.
    — Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 25 Feb. 2026
  • These days Guthrie is unafraid to open about an on-air flub.
    — Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
  • At least this flub is one that people are taking in good humor.
    — Brianna Wiest, Teen Vogue, 23 Oct. 2017
  • Trudeau has been beset by flubs and scandals in recent months.
    — Aj Willingham, CNN, 21 Oct. 2019
  • In the case of this very public flub, a little homework could've gone a long way.
    — Dave Clark, The Enquirer, 28 May 2021
  • Farrell’s flub was related to that plot.
    — Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
  • In the video, Margo touched on the viral flub while gushing over the singer.
    — Sara M Moniuszko, USA TODAY, 17 Dec. 2020
  • This certainly isn’t the first time there’s been an on-air flub with expletives.
    — Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025
  • View audience members gasped over the flub in the moment.
    — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 26 May 2026
  • There have been some embarrassing flubs.
    — Jordan Novet, CNBC, 22 May 2026
  • The offensive line, outside of that one flub, gave Brees time and opened holes in the run game.
    — Luke Johnson, NOLA.com, 27 Oct. 2020
  • The flub that led to the wrong winner being announced on live TV.
    — Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 1 Mar. 2023
  • An unusual insult in Grease came to be thanks to a flub on an actor's part.
    — Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 2 June 2026
  • More often than not, points would end with a flub from Osaka, and the first set was over in a blink.
    — chicagotribune.com, 12 Sep. 2020
  • This isn’t Gilead’s only recent trial flub or delay in the past few years.
    — Washington Post, 12 Feb. 2019
  • Others couldn’t resist turning the flub into a Mets omen.
    — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Mar. 2026
  • There were three wild pitches in the game, although the most memorable flub wasn't scored as one since nobody was on base.
    — Noah Trister, Star Tribune, 5 Apr. 2021
  • There were a few gaffes, but nothing that would rise to the level of candidacy-killing flubs by statewide wannabes in the past.
    — Dara Kam, OrlandoSentinel.com, 19 Apr. 2018
  • Since this flub isn't usually a part of Ken's way of hosting Jeopardy!
    — Adrianna Freedman, Good Housekeeping, 10 Nov. 2022
  • Flores was brilliant this season, but the shine on his achievements was somewhat muted by the team’s flubs.
    — Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 13 Jan. 2026
  • Moving past the anachronistic flub, the Rams would be an intriguing fit.
    — Jacob Feldman, SI.com, 29 May 2018
  • That line admitting the control-room flub was later scratched from the streaming version.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2026
  • Faizan's flub let his two remaining competitors back in, since all three misspelled during the round.
    — ABC News, 26 May 2026
  • Faizan’s flub let his two remaining competitors back in, since all three misspelled during the round.
    — Ben Nuckols, Fortune, 27 May 2026
  • His night included a flub in the early innings and a misplay in the right-field corner in the sixth inning.
    — Rustin Dodd, kansascity, 1 July 2017
  • That didn’t stop Twitter from circulating the screenshots of the flub.
    — Caitlin Kelley, Billboard, 27 Oct. 2017
  • Others couldn’t resist tying the flub to the Mets’ recent fortunes.
    — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2026
  • Fewer flubs There are clear incentives to a long-term strategy for both the firms and the investors.
    — Laura Cooper, WSJ, 19 June 2018
  • Then her overconfident flub turned into one of the biggest bloopers of the Games.
    — Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2022
  • The Spartans took advantage of a Maryland flub to grab a first-inning lead.
    — Ryan Ford, Detroit Free Press, 24 May 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flub.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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