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

Explanation

If you're a football fan you know all about the agony of the fumble — the clumsy handling of the ball that makes you drop it or lose possession. Fumbling is an uncoordinated movement that can involve your entire body, not just your hands. Witness the poor parent of a newborn trying to fumble with a diaper on at three in the morning. Fumble has a more metaphorical meaning as well, meaning to mess up or mishandle. Politicians are often accused of fumbling the major issues.

Example Sentences

“That’s Fumble Island,” said UW junior wide receiver Rome Odunze.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 2, 2023

In a painful twist for the Browns, Sunday was the 33rd anniversary of The Fumble.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 17, 2021

After another Browns three-and-out, memories of The Drive and The Fumble surfaced in every Cleveland household, and worry started to overtake joy on the visiting sideline.

From Washington Post • Jan. 10, 2021

Remember the Butt Fumble, and its lesser known sequel Butt Fumble 2?

From Golf Digest • Dec. 17, 2018

Fumble at the latch, Close the door and bar it.

From Ballads of a Bohemian by Service, Robert W. (Robert William)

Related Words

• botch
• flub
• mishandle
• screw up
• stumble