fumble

American  

[fuhm-buhl] / ˈfʌm bəl /

verb (used without object)

fumbled, fumbling

1. to feel or grope about clumsily.

   She fumbled in her purse for the keys.

2. Sports. to fumble the ball.

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verb (used with object)

fumbled, fumbling

1. to make, handle, etc., clumsily or inefficiently.

   to fumble an attempt; He fumbled his way through the crowded room.

   Synonyms:

   muff, spoil, mishandle, botch, bungle

2. Sports. to fail to hold or maintain hold on (a ball) after having touched it or carried it.

noun

1. the act of fumbling.

   We completed the difficult experiment without a fumble.

2. Sports. an act or instance of fumbling the ball.

fumble British  

/ ˈfʌmbəl /

verb

1. (intr; often foll by for or with) to grope about clumsily or blindly, esp in searching

   he was fumbling in the dark for the money he had dropped

2. (intr; foll by at or with) to finger or play with, esp in an absent-minded way

3. to say or do hesitantly or awkwardly

   he fumbled the introduction badly

4. to fail to catch or grasp (a ball, etc) cleanly

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noun

1. the act of fumbling

Other Word Forms

• fumbler noun
• fumblingly adverb
• fumblingness noun
• outfumble verb (used with object)
• unfumbled adjective
• unfumbling adjective

Etymology

Origin of fumble

1500–10; akin to Norwegian, Swedish fumla, Middle Low German fummeln to grope, fumble

Example Sentences

He fumbled the handoff on his first touch coming off a screen.

From Los Angeles Times

There are questions over how Australia's security agency fumbled an alleged terrorist who at one point was on their radar, prompting a review into federal police and intelligence agencies that was announced on Sunday.

From BBC

Therefore, a fumble recovery and successful conversion, tying the game.

From Los Angeles Times

Near the end of the second quarter, Curl forced former Rams receiver Cooper Kupp to fumble the ball out of the end zone for a touchback, preserving the lead.

From Los Angeles Times

They ended another drive by losing a fumble.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• botch
• flub
• mishandle
• screw up
• stumble