BUMBLES Synonyms: 152 Similar and Opposite Words

bumbles 1 of 2

verb (1)

present tense third-person singular of bumble

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

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bumbles

2 of 2

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of bumble

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in stumbles

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 sputters

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 bumbles

Verb

Despite the seeming horror of it all, the world just bumbles onwards. — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 22 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bumbles

Verb

Best Time to Visit The best time to visit Delray Beach is from late April through early June, when the city still hums with energy but sheds the intensity of peak season.

— Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 11 July 2026
This deck area positively hums with IG brunch-scene potential.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 June 2026

Definition of hums

Verb

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

Definition of fumbles

Verb

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
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

Definition of sputters

Verb

While Ramses may continue its operations for a number of months, NASA’s OSIRIS-APEX mission—the name for the extended mission of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, which sampled the asteroid Bennu—is set to swoop in after Apophis buzzes Earth.

— Andrew Jones, Scientific American, 30 July 2026
Your social world buzzes with activity as Mercury and Venus harmonize in the skies.

— USA TODAY, USA Today, 24 July 2026

Definition of buzzes

Verb

Grucci fireworks are stored in cement-block structures in rural Virginia—well spaced, in case one blows.

— Paige Williams, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
Peter trying to have a normal holiday while grieving Tony, Mysterio’s deception, and the post-credits scene that blows Peter’s life apart — all of it feeds into where the new film finds him.

— Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of blows

Verb

Missile salvos and militia attacks have choked key shipping lanes, damaged Saudi oil facilities and driven up global prices even as fragile diplomacy struggles to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and avert escalation.

— Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
The film follows a young man who struggles to balance his mental problems, medication, and drugs with his musical ambitions.

— Zac Ntim, Deadline, 30 July 2026

Definition of struggles

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“Bumbles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bumbles. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of bumbles

verb (1)

verb (2)

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