fumbled 1 of 2

adjective

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

fumbled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of fumble
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

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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

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3
as in stumbled
to make a mistake just when it looked like he was going to get away with the ruse, he fumbled

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of fumbled
Adjective
Bachmeier twice converted on third down with runs, including an 8-yarder after a fumbled snap. — ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026 In the preseason opener, Mahomes was on the field for three snaps after the Chiefs recovered a fumbled kickoff to open the game. — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 11 Aug. 2025
Verb
Thomas and Woods fumbled in the first half in Spartan territory — their first of the season on 118 combined carries thus far. — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026 During Sunday night’s game against the Seahawks at Lumen Field in Seattle, Mahomes fumbled after a big hit, and roughly 22 players had a chance to recover the ball. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 25 Oct. 2026 In Week 2 of what would be his final season, the Raiders trailed the Chargers 20-14 with seconds remaining when Ken Stabler fumbled while seemingly being sacked. — Chantz Martin Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026 On the third snap of the third quarter Quentin Hayes fumbled and Kanstin Brooks had a 13-yard return to the 9-yard line. — ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026 The chorus broke open with two major chords, and the two people fumbled their way down the hall in the story while the musical progression tumbled downward, along with the protagonist’s self-respect. — Tom Roland, Billboard, 21 Oct. 2026 Carr fumbled while trying to spike the ball, and Isaiah Glasker pounced on it to help the Cougars maintain a two-score lead going into the locker room. — John Coon, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026 Then, with Georgia a first down away from a game-winning field-goal attempt, Stockton fumbled the ball. — Connor Riley, AJC.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fumbled
  1. clumsy
  2. blew
  3. looked
  4. stumbled
  5. awkward
  6. muffed
  7. reached
  8. tripped
Adjective
  • Here, his clumsy, winky, affected, and self-undercutting direction can’t even work the charming Jenna Ortega to a great performance, as her Klara is flattened into a bundle of manic pixie mannerisms both physical and verbal.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Some Latinas are nerds, and some Latinas are quirky, and some of them are goofy and some of them are clumsy.
    — Johanna Ferreira, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of clumsy
Verb
  • The stocks are already down over 30% each in October as credit investors blew their yields out to distressed levels, doubting their business model of using aggressive levels of debt to build data centers.
    — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
  • After losing consecutive non-road games by three points both times, on Saturday night UT blew a 24-3 halftime lead to turn it a fourth-quarter tie.
    — Mac Engel October 25, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of blew
Verb
  • Its shots weren’t falling, and its defense looked weary under Atlanta’s offensive pressure.
    — Micahya Costen, AJC.com, 22 Oct. 2026
  • There were moments during the Heats’ season-opening 131-106 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves where the product looked sloppy, and the effort was lackluster.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of looked
Verb
  • Russia stumbled in all three of its Phobos attempts as well as many other Mars endeavors.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Munyon's Paw-Paw, an alcoholic beverage dating to the early 1900s, has been resurrected by two longtime spirits industry veterans who stumbled upon its unusual history during a family outing.
    — Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of stumbled
Adjective
  • The Basketmaker—whose skills go far beyond furniture making—weaves her a match, Fiddler on the Roof-like, and the Fisherwoman, after an awkward matrimonial moment, takes Wicker Husband home to her funky little cottage.
    — Valerie Monroe, Allure, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The pushback is awkward for a government that went out of its way to land the project.
    — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of awkward
Verb
  • David Moore, who fields the short-field punts precisely because he’s supposed to be sure-handed, muffed one.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 25 Oct. 2026
  • While Cam Bates returned a punt to the house against Memphis, Broncos returners have also muffed several punts this season.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of muffed
Verb
  • Today, our constructor has reached into his evidently limitless bag of tricks to pull out a doozy of a Thursday grid.
    — Sean McGowan, New York Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Disenchantment with the current political and economic system has also reached a point where socialism has grown more popular among Americans.
    — Chad de Guzman, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of reached
Verb
  • Up until tonight, Raman has done a good job of communicating a message of hope and change, while Bass, as the incumbent, has repeatedly tripped on her record over the biblically bad four years of her first term.
    — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The truest sign that Joseph had tripped the Rams up with Hufanga’s blitz came by looking at Rams right guard Kevin Dotson.
    — Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of tripped

Browse Nearby Words

fumble
fumbled
fumbler
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Cite this Entry

“Fumbled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fumbled. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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