FUMBLE Synonyms: 152 Similar and Opposite Words

fumble 1 of 2

noun

Definition of fumble

as in mistake

an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy played the entire piano piece without a single fumble

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

fumble

2 of 2

verb

ˈfəm-bəl

as in to blow

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

as in to grope

to search for something blindly or uncertainly the librarian fumbled for the light switch as she entered the dark room

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to stumble

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 fumble

Noun

Wide receiver Tahj Washington lost a fumble on a punt return late in the game. — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 22 Aug. 2026 Fundamentals like gripping the football properly to prevent fumbles, or tackling and lowering your hips to wrap up and drive a player rather than using shoulder pads or lowering the head, which put players at risk for neck and head injuries. — Ethan Hanson, Daily News, 21 Aug. 2026

Verb

Tagovailoa fumbled the snap to start Atlanta’s second drive and Miami recovered. — ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026 Buford scored 17 points off three Gainesville fumbles on punt plays. — Jack Leo, AJC.com, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fumble

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fumble

Noun

The mistakes that sink applications Loan files in this category rarely die because the borrower earns too little.

— Karen Koehler, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026
Innovation Is Not One Game Organizations also make the mistake of treating innovation as a single activity.

— Jeff DeGraff, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of mistake

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
The Las Vegas spectacle, which opened to the public in August 2025, already blows audiences around with tornado-force wind, shakes them with haptic seats, sends giant winged monkeys flying overhead and drops hundreds of foam apples from the ceiling.

— Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of blow

Verb

Ibarra and an unspecified number of his friends reportedly groped a woman at the Buena Vista party.

— Logan Smith, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
Quaylin Wesley, 27, of Oakland and Vallejo, has been charged with 10 felonies for allegedly going into the girl’s room repeatedly on the night of June 13 and groping her, forcing her to touch him, and attempting to sodomize her, prosecutors say.

— Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of grope

Verb

Most critics of judicial supremacy stumble over the fact that a strong Court sometimes benefits their side.

— Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Analysis from Zeki Data shows that where OpenAI and Anthropic are making gains in the AI talent market, Google DeepMind (and to some extent Meta) are stumbling.

— Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of stumble

Noun

Boutique seasonal brand, made it to market, suggesting the blunder might be related to a need for more executives and other workers connected with and sensitive to needs and concerns of Black consumers.

— Cheryl V. Jackson, IndyStar, 27 Aug. 2026
From a 2026 lens, extending Braun while kicking Watson’s can down the road looks like an epic blunder that could cost the Nuggets another title in the Joker’s prime.

— Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of blunder

Verb

The left-hander had a chance to go deeper Sunday, but the shortstop Lombard booted a potential inning-ending double-play grounder in the fourth.

— Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 23 Aug. 2026
The travelling supporters were perched behind the goal for a perfect view of the wonder strike, and Ballard made a beeline straight towards them, booting the advertising hoarding for good measure.

— Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of boot

Verb

The most impressive trick Paranormal Activity pulls off is making an entire theater — devotees and newcomers alike — afraid to look away, and giving them one hell of a good time while doing it.

— Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
Outdoor plans look great as most areas will stay dry, so keep the umbrellas at home.

— Bill Kelly, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of look

Verb

As the trio grew up on Nebraska high school fields, the Huskers tripped and slipped to a 7-17 record during their senior seasons.

— Mitch Sherman, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
During competition, a number of humanoid robots have tripped, collapsed, burst into flames or slammed into safety barriers and then been stretchered off the track.

— Anna Coren, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of trip

Browse Nearby Words

fulsome

fumble

fumbled

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“Fumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fumble. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of fumble

noun

verb

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