1
as in fumbled
to make a mistake
unnerved by her earlier missteps, the skater fluffed on the final jump as well
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in blew
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
I completely fluffed the introduction by calling the boss's wife by the wrong name
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fluffed
Hours later, the calf, fed and fluffed, took a spot on the couch with the Sorrell family’s two children.
—
Dylan Lovan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Hours later, the calf, fed and fluffed, took a spot on the couch with the Sorrell family's two children.
—CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
For Jonathan Anderson’s vision of beauty at his first Dior women’s show in October, Guido Palau fluffed up models’ natural texture, not dissimilar from the windswept waves and pre-Raphaelite curls the hairstylist created for Veronica Leoni’s September Calvin Klein debut.
—Arden Fanning Andrews, Vogue, 28 Jan. 2026
Pillows with embellishments should be hand-fluffed and air-dried.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 15 Nov. 2025
Aggie Beever-Jones fluffed her lines on multiple chances, failing to connect with a through ball from Keira Walsh and only weakly meeting a cutback from Sjoeke Nusken.
—Cerys Jones, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
After completing the quick tutorial, Harper quickly fluffed her hair and gave the camera a subtle pose before ending the clip.
—Kayla Grant, People.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Dylan Lovan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Hours later, the calf, fed and fluffed, took a spot on the couch with the Sorrell family's two children.
—CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
For Jonathan Anderson’s vision of beauty at his first Dior women’s show in October, Guido Palau fluffed up models’ natural texture, not dissimilar from the windswept waves and pre-Raphaelite curls the hairstylist created for Veronica Leoni’s September Calvin Klein debut.
—Arden Fanning Andrews, Vogue, 28 Jan. 2026
Pillows with embellishments should be hand-fluffed and air-dried.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 15 Nov. 2025
Aggie Beever-Jones fluffed her lines on multiple chances, failing to connect with a through ball from Keira Walsh and only weakly meeting a cutback from Sjoeke Nusken.
—Cerys Jones, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
After completing the quick tutorial, Harper quickly fluffed her hair and gave the camera a subtle pose before ending the clip.
—Kayla Grant, People.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fluffed
Verb
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In turn, the Heat fumbled it away.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
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The attempt to create a viable and vibrant residential hub arrives after years of neglect and fumbled strategies by the prior owner, an affiliate of real estate firm Z&L Properties.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Back then, the average team still featured three starters who threw enough innings to qualify for the ERA title, probably had an ace who blew past 200 innings and had multiple pitchers with double-digit wins.—
Jayson Stark,
New York Times,
10 Feb. 2026
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After Lathan Sommerville drew consecutive trips to the line, and no whistle blew when Dent was contacted on a drive, Cronin ran onto the court, throwing his fists in anger, and yelling at an official.—
Aaron Heisen,
Daily News,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Shares stumbled last week on news about job openings in December hitting their lowest level in five years as investors tried to assess the health of the economy and figure out whether to cash in on pricey stocks.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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Both the Bobcats and Blue Devils have stumbled, and Yale is in a dogfight in the Ivy League.—
Kels Dayton,
Hartford Courant,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Critics also complain that Dodge, known for its muscle cars, muffed its transition to hybrid power systems.—
Aldo Svaldi,
Denver Post,
1 Feb. 2026
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But early in the second half, with the Seahawks leading 17-13, Smith muffed another kick and the Seahawks recovered the ball.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Fighting Illini coach Brad Underwood asked officials to review whether Fears intentionally tripped David Mirkovic after stopping in front of him.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Feb. 2026
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May was right that Fears tripped Lendeborg, a dirty play that should have resulted in a flagrant foul.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fluffed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fluffed. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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