bumbled 1 of 2

verb (1)

past tense of bumble
as in hummed
to fly, turn, or move rapidly with a fluttering or vibratory sound a fly bumbling around the room while we were trying to sleep

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bumbled

2 of 2

verb (2)

past tense of bumble
1
as in fumbled
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

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2
as in stumbled
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually I sort of bumbled through the dance number, hoping that it would soon end

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3
as in chatted
to speak rapidly, inarticulately, and usually unintelligibly overcome with stage fright, I could only bumble through the speech

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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 bumbled
Verb
She was cast as Athena, the class ‘troublemaker’ was Odysseus, and the school’s headmaster bumbled around, one-eyed, as the Cyclops. — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 17 July 2026 Except this time, the keeper’s save bumbled forward out of his hands and the ball dropped to Mikel Merino, who came to Spain’s rescue yet again. — Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 10 July 2026 As the Rockies bumbled through the 2025 season, The Athletic asked rival executives about hypothetical ways to fix the franchise. — Andy McCullough, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025 After the Knicks bumbled away Game 1 and eventually lost the series in six contests, New York fired former Coach of the Year Tom Thibodeau after five largely successful seasons. — Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025 The same year that Zipf secured his measure of posthumous fame, Harvard’s football team bumbled its way to a 1-8 record. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 5 Sep. 2025 Which is a shame because Cuoco’s chemistry with on-screen husband Chris Messina was entertaining, especially as the couple bumbled their way through the true crime craze comedy. — Hunter Ingram, Variety, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bumbled
  1. hummed
  2. fumbled
  3. stumbled
  4. chatted
  5. buzzed
  6. blew
  7. struggled
  8. sputtered
Verb
  • The bleachers were packed, and for the first time all day the air hummed with genuine enthusiasm.
    — Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
  • As the tattoo machine hummed across her leg, Savanna Georges watched another chapter of her faith take shape in ink.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of hummed
Verb
  • The company, which offers credit cards used to make rent and mortgage payments, had fumbled a critical transition, leading to confusion and financial stress for its customers.
    — Andy Kroll, ProPublica, 31 Aug. 2026
  • On his second drive, Tagovailoa fumbled the snap from center and the Dolphins recovered.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of fumbled
Verb
  • But most of the attempts to scale sodium-ion cells stumbled over short lifespans and poor heat tolerance.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
  • In her attempt to get away, the woman stumbled and injured her leg, screaming for help the whole time, police said.
    — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of stumbled
Verb
  • During an exclusive visit to the homes each team transformed, PEOPLE sat down with the two groups and chatted about what viewers can expect to see on Totally ‘90s House.
    — Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 24 Aug. 2026
  • As Boyd chatted with Miller near the Cubs dugout for further explanation, Counsell, who turned 56 on Friday, got tossed for the fifth time this year, tying his most ejections in a single season during his 12-year managerial career.
    — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of chatted
Verb
  • As for Haaland, whose long, pale-blonde hair nabbed countless headlines during the World Cup, buzzed it off and filmed the whole thing for YouTube.
    — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Solitary bees buzzed through the purple flowers of the California aster.
    — Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of buzzed
Verb
  • It’s been a decade since the company best known for sucking up hair balls and dust bunnies blew with great force into the beauty business.
    — Jenny Bailly, Allure, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Playing the American League’s best team, the Padres had the final two games of the series in hand before the practically impermeable back end of their bullpen blew late leads.
    — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of blew
Verb
  • While Big Tech companies have aggressively expanded their AI footprint, the iPhone maker has struggled to find its footing.
    — Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026
  • In his second year as a head coach, Tyler Marsh once again struggled to cement a clear playing identity.
    — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of struggled
Verb
  • Wankel turned a valve, and billion-year-old brine sputtered out of one of the pipes.
    — James Dinneen, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Oil prices fell Monday even as diplomatic efforts to end the US-Iran war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz sputtered.
    — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of sputtered

Browse Nearby Words

bumble
bumbled
bumbler
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Cite this Entry

“Bumbled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bumbled. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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