stumblebum

noun

Definition of stumblebumnext
1
as in palooka

Related Words

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2
as in fumbler

Related Words

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 stumblebum The stumblebum energy disarms us, which makes the gruesome cruelty of the kills that much more disturbing. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026 As opposed to palookas and has-beens and tin cans and stumblebums, a player who got waived departed with his dignity intact. — Joe Queenan, WSJ, 2 Nov. 2018 Gerald Ford, for all his stumblebum image, was a Yale Law School graduate and veteran of legislative details. — James Fallows, The Atlantic, 20 July 2017 The physicians lining up with Teirstein are not a bunch of stumblebums afraid of a few tests. — Kurt Eichenwald, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2015
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumblebum
  1. palooka
  2. bungler
  3. slugger
  4. duffer
  5. boxer
  6. prizefighter
  7. pugilist
  8. gladiator
Noun
  • Sylvester Stallone's underdog tale about a struggling palooka given one shot at the heavyweight championship is a stirring sports movie with a level of charm and sweetness that dissipated in the rounds (and rounds) of sequels that followed.
    — Brian Lowry, CNN, 25 July 2019
  • All this real guts and glory in Philadelphia, yet one of the big tourist attractions is to run up the Art Museum steps the way a palooka named Rocky Balboa did on the silver screen.
    — Bill Livingston, cleveland.com, 1 Jan. 2018
Definition of palooka
Noun
  • Dan Quinn has a public relations problem right now and at the heart of the issue is some powerful people that are painting him as something of an NFL sideline bungler as the Washington Commanders coach.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of bungler
Noun
  • With the Rays trailing 2-1 after Liam Hicks' RBI groundout in the fourth, Mesa was caught stealing third for the final out of the fifth with slugger Yandy Díaz at the plate.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Offensively, Milwaukee will look for production from slugger William Contreras and spark plug Brice Turang, while Tampa Bay relies on power hitter Junior Caminero and Jonathan Aranda to catalyze their lineup.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of slugger
Noun
  • Many weekend duffers buy their equipment at Dick’s Sporting Goods .
    — Tom Rotunno, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2026
  • Prior to 2023, when the streamer hosted its first live sports event—the Netflix Cup featured F1 drivers and pro duffers squaring off in a nine-hole match—the company brass were adamant about staying out of that lane.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Definition of duffer
Noun
  • His art often featured jazz luminaries, boxers, and other figures along with graffiti-like words.
    — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Had Coker scored, Tremble would have been the boxer who got knocked out.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of boxer
Noun
  • The Florida Gators staggered into Texas on Saturday looking like a punch-drunk prizefighter who had spent the previous two weeks getting his teeth knocked out, his nose rearranged and his dignity dragged through the mud.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Ali won, but both prizefighters left a part of themselves in that ring.
    — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of prizefighter
Noun
  • Becerra was the clear winner, and to be honest, Hilton — usually a nimble pugilist — came across flat too much of the time.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • After finishing fourth in Stage 1, Bristol pugilist Carson Hocevar was part of a six-car restart wreck on Lap 122.
    — Reid Spencer, Kansas City Star, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of pugilist
Noun
  • The family said the diagnosis likely stemmed from his racing career — one in which drivers raced like gladiators but without the safety protections that have been put in place in the past two decades.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Ann Demeulemeester brought back the gladiator sandal with an abundance of buckles.
    — Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of gladiator

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Stumblebum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumblebum. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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