bumbling
Americanadjective
-
liable to make awkward blunders.
a bumbling mechanic.
-
clumsily incompetent or ineffectual.
bumbling diplomacy.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bumbling
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.
It’s also true of how the ICE agents are portrayed as bumbling “mall cops,” white and Latino people from border communities who need a job.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
The two outcomes show how three years into the NFL’s new kickoff rules, teams are still bumbling through the search for optimal moves.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
In its long, bumbling quest to return to the summit of the sport it invented, England has invested billions to build a squad capable of lifting the World Cup.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
What Lily couldn’t have foreseen, of course, was that her amateur detective skills would become necessary when, one day, George is found dead, and the investigation by a bumbling local policeman isn’t up to snuff.
From Salon ● May 25, 2026
It was clear that he was getting better and better with each succeeding game, his fumbling, bumbling performance in the season opener a laughable memory.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
