bumbling 1 of 2

verb (1)

Definition of bumblingnext
present participle of bumble
as in humming
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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bumbling

2 of 2

verb (2)

present participle of bumble
1
as in fumbling
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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2
as in stumbling
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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3
as in chatting
to speak rapidly, inarticulately, and usually unintelligibly overcome with stage fright, I could only bumble through the speech

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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 bumbling
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 Perhaps this all was unavoidable for a proud player and often bumbling franchise. — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026 Kevin's dream of being home alone quickly turns into a hilarious nightmare and battle of wits when a pair of bumbling thieves attempts to break into his house. — Sophie Dodd, PEOPLE, 31 Jan. 2026 The Kings were booed off the floor Wednesday after bumbling their way through the team’s second-worst homestand of at least four games since February 2021. — Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 13 Nov. 2025 In true Reichardt fashion, the driving force of the film is not the crime itself, which takes place in bumbling fashion in the first third, but what happens afterward. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2025 Stars from Christmas Vacation and the original National Lampoon's Vacation reunited at a panel at Chicago Fan Expo earlier this month, where Randy Quaid and Beverly D'Angelo both recalled the Fletch star's difficulties portraying bumbling patriarch Clark Griswold during the 1989 holiday sequel. — Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bumbling
  1. humming
  2. fumbling
  3. stumbling
  4. chatting
  5. buzzing
  6. bungling
  7. struggling
  8. drooling
Verb
  • Consider an administrative assistant who has spent a decade keeping a department humming along.
    — Eric Kutcher, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Once the fabrics and jewelry started coming in from the Chanel Patrimoine, the old alchemy started humming.
    — Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of humming
Verb
  • The Seahawks had one of the worst turnovers in the NFL this season, fumbling in their own end zone and handing the 49ers a touchdown with 13 seconds left in the first half.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Specifically, Nico Iamaleava struggled, fumbling once and throwing interceptions to Oregon’s Koi Perich and Jerry Mixon.
    — Elias Esquivel, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of fumbling
Verb
  • Big banks made changes to overdraft fees and fraud protections following previous testimony, for example, while former Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf abruptly resigned in 2016 after stumbling during hearings on the bank’s fake accounts scandal.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2026
  • In an era of geotags and influencers, there’s something deeply satisfying about stumbling upon a place that still feels like a secret.
    — Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of stumbling
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 challenge will include multiple phases, including a concept design, concept refinement after chatting with reviewers, and then a final selection.
    — Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of chatting
Verb
  • During the session, moderated by Grace Barber-Plentie, BFI London Film Festival programmer, the star repeatedly drew applause and laughter from an adoring crowd that left the room buzzing about Ackie’s passion and natural charisma.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2026
  • During the camp’s first seven days, the activity log filled with nearly 665 observations, mostly federal agents buzzing around their location.
    — Ryan Devereaux, ProPublica, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of buzzing
Verb
  • The combustion of Graham Platner’s candidacy in Maine is another blow to a Democratic Party trying to mend its reputation after bungling the 2024 presidential election.
    — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 9 July 2026
  • San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, who polled at 5% in the CBS survey, accused Becerra of bungling the federal government’s response to COVID-19, mpox and the influx in child migrants under former President Joe Biden.
    — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 29 Apr. 2026
Definition of bungling
Verb
  • But while most young people are struggling to land their first opportunity, some have jumped the line by building their own small businesses and startups—and young founders are now ramping up hiring even as companies across industries slow theirs.
    — Muskaan Arshad, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The film includes flashbacks to his time in the war and features a parallel story about his young carer struggling to make ends meet.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of struggling
Verb
  • Mix these finds into your work wardrobe or your off-duty ensembles—they’re versatile enough to do it all, and the festive palette is worth drooling over.
    — Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 7 Oct. 2026
  • There was one of Melissa Gorga’s sprinkle cookies ground into the carpet, and there was Kelsey Swanson, passed out under the piano and drooling on the parquet.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of drooling

Browse Nearby Words

bumbles
bumbling
bumboat
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Cite this Entry

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

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