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View synonyms for fumble

fumble

[ fuhm-buhl ]

verb (used without object)

, fum·bled, fum·bling.
  1. to feel or grope about clumsily:

    She fumbled in her purse for the keys.

  2. Sports. to fumble the ball.


verb (used with object)

, fum·bled, fum·bling.
  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

/ 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


noun

  1. the act of fumbling

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Derived Forms

  • ˈfumbler, noun
  • ˈfumblingly, adverb
  • ˈfumblingness, noun

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Other Words From

  • fumbler noun
  • fumbling·ly adverb
  • fumbling·ness noun
  • outfumble verb (used with object) outfumbled outfumbling
  • un·fumbled adjective
  • un·fumbling adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of fumble1

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

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Word History and Origins

Origin of fumble1

C16: probably of Scandinavian origin; related to Swedish fumla

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Example Sentences

Trubisky lost a fumble on a sack, although the Packers might have gotten away with a face-mask penalty that went uncalled.

He had a touchdown on a 17-yard return of a fumble recovery, then had a touchdown on a 28-yard return of a fumble recovery on the Vikings’ next offensive play.

The Wildcats’ 29-20 loss in East Lansing — a game closer than its margin since the Spartans recovered a fumble in the end zone on the final play — serves as a routine reminder of the inconsistencies of most college football teams.

The score was tied at 7 when the Tigers’ Cole Mashburn recovered the fumble at the Memphis 46-yard line.

A forced fumble of Burrow by rookie defensive end Chase Young shut down one Cincinnati scoring attempt, in the second quarter, and the costly misses of Cincinnati’s kicker, Randy Bullock, spared other scores.

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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