fumbled; fumbling
ˈfəm-b(ə-)liŋ 
1
a
: to grope for or handle something clumsily or aimlessly
b
: to make awkward attempts to do or find something
fumbled in his pocket for a coin
c
: to search by trial and error
d
: blunder
2
: to feel one's way or move awkwardly
3
a
: to drop or juggle or fail to play cleanly a grounder
b
: to lose hold of a football while handling or running with it
1
: to bring about by clumsy manipulation
2
a
: to feel or handle clumsily
b
: to deal with in a blundering way : bungle
3
: to make (one's way) in a clumsy manner
4
a
: misplay
fumble a grounder
b
: to lose hold of (a football) while handling or running
Synonyms
Examples of fumble in a Sentence
Verb
She fumbled in her pocket for her keys.
They fumbled a good opportunity to take control of the market.
He was hit hard and fumbled on the 20-yard line.
He fumbled the ball on the 20-yard line.
Noun
played the entire piano piece without a single fumble
Recent Examples on the Web
Ew Staff, EW.com, 6 Dec. 2024
Last week, the Lions squeaked out a 23-20 win against the Chicago Bears, thanks to some late-game heroics and a bit of luck as the Bears fumbled away their shot to tie or win.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024
Benjamin Royer, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2024
The teams traded touchdowns before Syracuse’s Devin Grant returned a fumble by receiver Xavier Restrepo 56 yards to the end zone, giving the Orange their first lead with 1:47 to play in the third quarter.
—Manny Navarro, The Athletic, 1 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fumble 
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Verb
With its The Princess Bride meets The Tudors vibes, My Lady Jane had the potential to go down in the annals of television history as one of the greats — now, it will just be remembered as an appalling case of TV executives fumbling the bag.
—Ew Staff, EW.com, 6 Dec. 2024
Last week, the Lions squeaked out a 23-20 win against the Chicago Bears, thanks to some late-game heroics and a bit of luck as the Bears fumbled away their shot to tie or win.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024
Noun
Three receiving touchdowns, two interceptions and one fumble recovery to his name — but all of that didn’t matter when the King/Drew senior came up a yard short in overtime to end the CIF Division 6-AA Southern California Regional final, ending the Golden Eagles’ season and his high school career.
—Benjamin Royer, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2024
The teams traded touchdowns before Syracuse’s Devin Grant returned a fumble by receiver Xavier Restrepo 56 yards to the end zone, giving the Orange their first lead with 1:47 to play in the third quarter.
—Manny Navarro, The Athletic, 1 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fumble
Dictionary Entries Near fumble
Cite this Entry
“Fumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fumble. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
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