BLUNDERING Synonyms: 65 Similar and Opposite Words

blundering

verb

Definition of blundering

present participle of blunder

as in fumbling

to make a mistake even though the prosecution had blundered several times in presenting its case, it ultimately prevailed

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in stumbling

to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually blundered his way through an acceptance speech

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 blundering Only a blundering idiot could spoil such an alliance and threaten damage to Florida’s economy. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026 On Monday, the first day of the trial in which Basabe is representing himself without an attorney, the proceedings were shaded by Basabe’s blundering legal missteps and procedural chaos. — Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026 The bull sagged at the front quarters, then began a desperate, blundering run. — Jack O'Connor, Outdoor Life, 8 July 2026 Earlier this year, two Serve Robotics machines were spotted blundering into the middle of a police incident while cops apprehended a man who appeared to be having a mental health crisis. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 24 June 2026 When the toys use messaging apps to control their owners in ways that go terrifyingly unnoticed, humankind itself seems to be blundering about with its brain unplugged. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026 The consequences ranged from hobbling Reconstruction to hastening the end of the Ottoman Empire to poisonous deflation, and the blundering response by governments helped shape the modern world. — Air Mail, 6 June 2026 The broadest of comedies, the film’s often puerile humor is driven by an endless stream of male bungling, blundering and whining, only to be kicked up a notch by pratfalls of nearly every variety, from getting bucked off a galloping horse to tripping into a pile of trash. — Natalia Winkelman, Variety, 27 May 2026 Right now, the source of the disruption in the airline industry is the President’s blundering rather than a financial meltdown that originated on Wall Street. — John Cassidy, New Yorker, 11 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for blundering

Verb

The Packers’ offense left the field, but came back after it was ruled that Watson was down before fumbling.

— Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Here was his senior running back, who scored a 44-yard touchdown in their state championship win months earlier, fumbling on the very first play of the Blue-White scrimmage.

— Kevin Fishbain, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of fumbling

Verb

The teddy bears, the stumbling answers, the whole morning in the Cotillion was a mess.

— Noah Shachtman, Vanity Fair, 25 Aug. 2026
Calhoun, who moved to Kansas City from Ames, Iowa, in 2016, started photography during the pandemic after stumbling across a photography video on YouTube.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of stumbling

Verb

Officials said the bear swiped at the man, scratching his arm, and that the man went on to injure his foot after tripping while trying to escape.

— Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 19 Aug. 2026
How quickly the brain and body react after tripping — with your foot automatically thrusting forward, for example, to prevent yourself from face-planting — is what plyometrics trains for.

— Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of tripping

Verb

The papers served to underline how central banks are struggling to keep up with challenges introduced by technology.

— Maria Eloisa Capurro, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
The longer the current situation continues, the greater the strain on an economy already struggling with shortages, inflation and restrictions on trade.

— Hamidreza Azizi, Time, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of struggling

Browse Nearby Words

blunderers

blundering

blunders

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Style

“Blundering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blundering. Accessed 31 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of blundering

verb

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