BUMBLE Synonyms: 153 Similar and Opposite Words

bumble 1 of 2

verb (1)

ˈbəm-bəl

Definition of bumble

as in to hum

to fly, turn, or move rapidly with a fluttering or vibratory sound a fly bumbling around the room while we were trying to sleep

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bumble

2 of 2

verb (2)

as in to fumble

to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way accused the White House staff of bumbling the announcement of the replacement for the cabinet post

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to stumble

to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually I sort of bumbled through the dance number, hoping that it would soon end

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to chat

to speak rapidly, inarticulately, and usually unintelligibly overcome with stage fright, I could only bumble through the speech

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of bumble

Verb

The pair come off less as cybercriminal masterminds than as galumphing galoots—that is to say, a pair of bumbling oafs who thought that asking AI how to cover their tracks was going to keep them out of federal prison. — Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 14 May 2026 There’s no kids club or even pool in this boutique hotel, but that didn’t stop my kids from bumbling around and feeling at ease in an upscale environment. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 May 2026 Lori seems to be a bit of a blank slate, both to Julian’s bumbling children and to Julian himself, who thinks Lori has been hired as his assistant to help manage his affairs and sort through the paintings littering his crumbling abode. — David Sims, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026 Perhaps this all was unavoidable for a proud player and often bumbling franchise. — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bumble

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bumble

Verb

Farmers, truckers and others who keep commerce humming in the United States have to raise their prices in order to digest higher diesel costs.

— Steve Kopack, NBC news, 15 Oct. 2026
Slop spawns, and Waymo’s artificially intelligent cars hum into view like two-ton rolling Rorschach tests.

— Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of hum

Verb

Resendiz finished strongly, sending Mazoudier stumbling backward in the final minute.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
Munyon's Paw-Paw, an alcoholic beverage dating to the early 1900s, has been resurrected by two longtime spirits industry veterans who stumbled upon its unusual history during a family outing.

— Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of stumble

Verb

Times columnists Gustavo Arellano, Steve Lopez and Lorraine Ali are chatting about Tuesday night’s Los Angeles mayoral debate between Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Nithya Raman.

— Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
The details of the allegations, which disclosed how fraternity members used a Snapchat group chat to discuss the woman and events at the party with openly crude language, sparked fury across the nation.

— Elissa Nadworny, NPR, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of chat

Verb

By morning, firefighting aircraft were back in the air dropping water on the Bryson fire in Malibu while the sound of generators purchased by outage-weary residents and business owners buzzed through the canyons.

— Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Matières Fécales and Christian Louboutin’s shoes have been receiving some celebrity buzz lately.

— Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of buzz

Verb

On Saturday morning, temperatures in the fire area were in the mid-80s and winds blew at about 15 mph.

— Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
There have been two times, and maybe three, since 2020 when Baylor should have won the game, but blew it.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of blow

Verb

Miller's attempt to recast the conversation about his divorce echoed efforts by other candidates who are struggling to overcome concerns about their character.

— Lara Korte The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
But more than 40 countries currently struggling with financing and liquidity challenges do not have debt stocks that require imminent restructuring.

— Masood Ahmed, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of struggle

Verb

In the novel, likewise, the narrator assumes an almost Homeric guise, comparing current harbor gossip to chatter from the Phoenician, Cretan, Greek, and Roman eras.

— Alex Ross, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Suspended in a pool, holding onto an oxygen mask as her teeth chattered, Julia Wolf began to seriously consider the possibility of hypothermia.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of chatter

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bum (around)

bumble

bumbled

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“Bumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bumble. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of bumble

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