Wordfinder

Fumble definition

fŭmbəl
fumbled fumbles fumbling
See word origin
Frequency:
(football) To drop a ball that is in play.
verb
8
1
(baseball) To mishandle a ground ball.
verb
8
3
To touch or handle clumsily or idly.
verb
6
3
To make a mess of; bungle.
verb
5
3
To feel or make (one's way) awkwardly.
verb
3
2
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To touch or handle nervously or idly.

Fumble with a necktie.

verb
1
0
Fumble is defined as to clumsily search or handle, or to lose hold of an object, particularly in football.

An example of fumble is to go through a drawer in the dark searching for an item.

verb
0
0
The definition of a fumble is an awkward handling or searching or a dropping of something, particularly in football.

An example of a fumble is the dropping of a football.

noun
0
0
To proceed awkwardly and uncertainly; blunder.

Fumble through a speech.

verb
0
0
(football) To drop (a ball) while in play.
verb
0
0
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(baseball) To mishandle (a ground ball).
verb
0
0
The act or an instance of fumbling.
noun
0
0
(sports) A ball that has been fumbled.
noun
0
0
To touch or handle nervously or idly.

Fumble with a necktie.

verb
0
0
To grope awkwardly to find or to accomplish something.

Fumble for a key.

verb
0
0
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To proceed awkwardly and uncertainly; blunder.

Fumble through a speech.

verb
0
0
(football) To drop a ball that is in play.
verb
0
0
(baseball) To mishandle a ground ball.
verb
0
0
To touch or handle clumsily or idly.
verb
0
0
To make a mess of; bungle.
verb
0
0
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To feel or make (one's way) awkwardly.
verb
0
0
(football) To drop (a ball) while in play.
verb
0
0
(baseball) To mishandle (a ground ball).
verb
0
0
The act or an instance of fumbling.
noun
0
0
(sports) A ball that has been fumbled.
noun
0
0
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To search (for a thing) by feeling about awkwardly with the hands; grope clumsily.
verb
0
0
To handle (a thing) clumsily or unskillfully; bungle.
verb
0
0
To lose one's grasp on (a football, etc.) while trying to catch or hold it.
verb
0
0
To make (one's way) clumsily or by groping.
verb
0
0
The act or fact of fumbling.
noun
0
0
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A football, etc. that has been fumbled.
noun
0
0
(intransitive) To idly touch or nervously handle.

Waiting for the interview, he fumbled with his tie.

He fumbled the key into the lock.

verb
0
0
(intransitive) To grope awkwardly in trying to find something.

He fumbled for his keys.

He fumbled his way to the light-switch.

verb
0
0
(intransitive) To blunder uncertainly.

He fumbled through his prepared speech.

verb
0
0
To grope about in perplexity; to seek awkwardly.

To fumble for an excuse.

verb
0
0
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(intransitive, sports) To drop a ball or a baton etc.
verb
0
0
To handle much; to play childishly; to turn over and over.
verb
0
0
(sports) A ball etc. that has been dropped.
noun
0
0
To grope awkwardly to find or to accomplish something.

Fumble for a key.

verb
0
1

Other Word Forms

Noun

Singular:
fumble
Plural:
fumbles

Origin of fumble

  • Middle English fomelen to grope

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Middle English fomelen to grope

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Origin uncertain; perhaps from a Scandinavian source. Compare Old Norse falma, Swedish fumla, Danish fumle, German fummeln.

    From Wiktionary

Fumble Sentence Examples

  • She bit her lip and began to fumble with a small purse.

  • He began to fumble with the ring of his harness.

  • Then someone else can fumble on the steps.

  • Shipton swore and began to fumble with his line to rappel again, down to the now injured and trapped form hovering below him.

  • There are no buttons to fumble with in the middle of the night.

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Words near fumble in the Dictionary