fum
ble
Third Person
fumbles
Present Participle
fumbling
Past Tense
fumbled
Past Participle
fumbled
1
to ruin or make a mess of something
- He fumbled the project by missing the deadline.
- She fumbled the speech and forgot her lines.
- They fumbled the negotiations and lost the contract.
- He fumbled the surprise party arrangements.
- She fumbled the presentation slides.
2
to search around by touch and without seeing
- She fumbled for her keys in the dark.
- He fumbled along the wall to find the light switch.
- The child fumbled through his backpack for his pencil.
- He fumbled in his pocket for the correct coin.
- He fumbled through the drawer looking for a screwdriver.
Synonyms:
3
to handle or grip something clumsily or ineffectively
- She fumbles with the keys, struggling to unlock the door.
- Every time she fumbles, she learns to be more careful with fragile items.
- While learning to ride a bike, children often fumble with the handlebars as they gain balance.
- The nervous student fumbled with the exam paper, hoping to recall the correct answers.
- Despite repeated attempts, the toddler continued to fumble with the jigsaw puzzle pieces.
4
to move clumsily or awkwardly, often while unsure of one's path
- She fumbled along the icy sidewalk.
- He fumbled through the crowd trying to reach the exit.
- The toddler fumbled across the room.
- He fumbled up the stairs carrying the heavy box.
- He fumbled in the foggy forest.
Synonyms:
5
to drop or fail to play a ball cleanly in sports, especially baseball or American football
- The quarterback fumbled the snap.
- He fumbled the grounder, allowing the batter to reach first base.
- The player fumbled the ball during the crucial play.
- She fumbled the catch but recovered quickly.
- He fumbled at the goal line, costing his team points.