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fumble
[ fuhm-buhl ]
verb (used without object)
- to feel or grope about clumsily:
She fumbled in her purse for the keys.
- Sports. to fumble the ball.
verb (used with object)
noun
- the act of fumbling:
We completed the difficult experiment without a fumble.
- Sports. an act or instance of fumbling the ball.
fumble
/ ˈfʌmbəl /
verb
- 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
- intr; foll by at or with to finger or play with, esp in an absent-minded way
- to say or do hesitantly or awkwardly
he fumbled the introduction badly
- to fail to catch or grasp (a ball, etc) cleanly
noun
- the act of fumbling
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Derived Forms
- ˈfumbler, noun
- ˈfumblingly, adverb
- ˈfumblingness, noun
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Other Words From
- fumbler noun
- fumbling·ly adverb
- fumbling·ness noun
- outfumble verb (used with object) outfumbled outfumbling
- un·fumbled adjective
- un·fumbling adjective
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Word History and Origins
Origin of fumble1
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Word History and Origins
Origin of fumble1
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Example Sentences
Following the fumble, all hope for a comeback—and, by extension, for a competitive game—vanished.
Getting the ball back after the fumble and running 83 yards for the game-winning touchdown is a little better.
But there were a whole lot of people crying “fumble” then, too.
Fly, Ravens, Fly Baltimore capitalized on the James fumble, carving up the vaunted 49er defense with a mixture of run and pass.
However, they also break if you drop them, a bad gift for the fumble-fingered.
Shoeblossom heard his visitor utter an exclamation of annoyance, and fumble in his pocket for matches.
Seeing that she did not at once obey, Alfred actually began to fumble hastily with the straps that held her riding-skirt in place.
Then he began to fumble and search through the pages of his book until he found what he wanted.
Hyacinth saw him fumble with the fastening of the rickety gate, and at last open it slowly and with difficulty.
He put his hands under his loose-hanging overcoat and began to fumble at a leather strap about his waist.
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