bumbling

adjective

bum·​bling ˈbəm-b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce bumbling (audio)
Synonyms of bumblingnext
: awkwardly blundering or faltering
a bumbling speaker
: prone to or marked by foolish mistakes
a bumbling attempt to fix the problem
… many Americans see the F.D.A. as bumbling and inefficient …—Herbert Burkholz
bumblingly adverb
… none of them truly wants him in her home while he tries, bumblingly, to get his act together … —Laura Collins-Hughes

Examples of bumbling in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
What the story is actually about almost doesn’t matter — just enjoy the quiet luxury of it all, with the ever-endearing Fabrice Luchini in the lead doing yet another bumbling, bourgeois gentleman of a certain age. — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2026 In much of the country, the popular conception of self-driving cars is something between a bumbling idiot and a mechanical death trap. — Rogé Karma, The Atlantic, 19 Aug. 2026 The bumbling Giants concluded a nine-game homestand, the team’s longest of the season, with a 3-6 record. — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 16 Aug. 2026 Grown Ups 3 is also getting another cameo from NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, who will once again play Officer Fluzoo, a bumbling local police officer. — Emma Banks, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bumbling

Word History

First Known Use

1660, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bumbling was in 1660

Rhymes for bumbling

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Browse Nearby Words

bumbler
bumbling
bumbo
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Cite this Entry

“Bumbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bumbling. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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