as in hums
to fly, turn, or move rapidly with a fluttering or vibratory sound
a fly bumbling around the room while we were trying to sleep
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in fumbles
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
accused the White House staff of bumbling the announcement of the replacement for the cabinet post
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stumbles
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually
I sort of bumbled through the dance number, hoping that it would soon end
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sputters
to speak rapidly, inarticulately, and usually unintelligibly
overcome with stage fright, I could only bumble through the speech
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bumbles
Verb
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This deck area positively hums with IG brunch-scene potential.
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To prevent its data centers from overheating, SpaceX plans to adopt liquid cooling, but not the kind that hums inside your desktop PC.
Verb
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Tensions between the galley and the interior continue to escalate over lunch service, when a radio mishap fumbles the order in which the food should go out.
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The movie fumbles the chance to do something arresting with this seminal period in art.
Verb
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In it, the man stumbles around, blinded by the sun, surrounded by insensible tourists.
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The conversation stumbles on for a few moments, but Crook can’t find the words.
Verb
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But for ordinary Americans, for those of us without fame, wealth, or connections, the machinery of justice often sputters.
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This will be a close game while the Eagles offense sputters against the Seahawks defense, and the offense hears a few boos in the second half.
Verb
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Your phone buzzes in your pocket.
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Every once in a while, a player buzzes in with an answer that truly catches fans off-guard.
Verb
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Nico offers cocaine to calm her nerves and crudely propositions her, at which point Cassie raises the alarm and blows Miles’ cover.
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Russia and Ukraine traded blows from the sky, each looking to claim the upper hand on the eve of a key NATO summit.
Verb
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During contests, their stomachs stretch, heart rates rise, and digestion struggles to keep up, causing intense physical stress.
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Her 12-year-old son, Whitman, has autism and a neurological disorder called apraxia, in which the brain struggles to tell muscles how to move to form words or perform other motor skills.
Verb
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While Yahia chats with The Star, his daughter, Hannah, takes a tray of baklava out of the oven.
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Inside the motel, Paula chats with Sky.
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Cite this Entry
“Bumbles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bumbles. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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