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Synonyms

all thumbs

Cultural  

  1. Clumsy or awkward: “Where plumbing is concerned, Walter is all thumbs.”

all thumbs Idioms  

  1. Physically awkward, especially with respect to the hands, as in When it comes to knitting, Mary is all thumbs. The notion of this idiom derives from a proverb in John Heywood's collection of 1546: “When he should get aught, each finger is a thumb.”

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He’s all thumbs in the exposé “The Teenager Who Hacked Twitter” on a new “The New York Times Presents.”

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 13, 2020

But when personnel moves aren’t front and center, the show’s kid gloves become all thumbs.

From Slate • Aug. 28, 2019

"I just got the final inspections: health, fire, the liquor board, all thumbs up."

From Seattle Times • Mar. 16, 2011

As for navigating the Raiders page, it helps if you're all thumbs.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 17, 2010

Lies, who’s all thumbs, gets lost in the mayhem.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.