as in hums
to fly, turn, or move rapidly with a fluttering or vibratory sound
a fly bumbling around the room while we were trying to sleep
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in fumbles
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stumbles
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually
I sort of bumbled through the dance number, hoping that it would soon end
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sputters
to speak rapidly, inarticulately, and usually unintelligibly
overcome with stage fright, I could only bumble through the speech
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bumbles
Verb
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To prevent its data centers from overheating, SpaceX plans to adopt liquid cooling, but not the kind that hums inside your desktop PC.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
9 June 2026 -
Cobbled together as a mixtape from a collection of leaks—allegedly because Veeze was holding onto a payload of Carti tracks—the tape hums along with a looseness that could only come from not being edited to death.—
Matthew Ritchie,
Pitchfork,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Tensions between the galley and the interior continue to escalate over lunch service, when a radio mishap fumbles the order in which the food should go out.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
26 May 2026
-
The movie fumbles the chance to do something arresting with this seminal period in art.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
12 May 2026
Verb
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After a rocky start, Joey stumbles on some talents and goes to great lengths to impress Leonard in his audition for a play.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 June 2026
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The first robot stumbles on aluminum debris, its wheels furiously trying to get traction and move around the obstacle.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
Verb
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But for ordinary Americans, for those of us without fame, wealth, or connections, the machinery of justice often sputters.—
Letters to the Editor,
Hartford Courant,
28 May 2026
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This will be a close game while the Eagles offense sputters against the Seahawks defense, and the offense hears a few boos in the second half.—
Zach Berman,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Every point results in cheers and car horns– and on the eve of their past three wins, the city buzzes with a passion that’s simply irresistible, even for the bandwagon fans.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
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The machine quietly buzzes and whizzes next to baristas who pull espresso shots.—
Jenna Thompson
June 10,
Kansas City Star,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Pinkas said that before the war, Iran was isolated under sanctions that choked its oil exports, dealing blows to its economy.—
Pamela Avila,
CNN Money,
18 June 2026
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Both the England and Croatia fans boo as the referee blows for the hydration breaks.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 June 2026
Verb
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The introvert who generates extraordinary individual insight but struggles to inspire large groups gets an extroverted deputy to do the rallying.—
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
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When Little John struggles to describe his dream girl, Robin instructs his protegee to sketch an image with words.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
Verb
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Inside the motel, Paula chats with Sky.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
10 June 2026
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The tool chats with job candidates, answers their questions about Chipotle, collects basic information, schedules interviews, and sends offer letters to candidates selected by hiring managers.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
2 June 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Bumbles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bumbles. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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