1
as in fumbling
to make a mistake
unnerved by her earlier missteps, the skater fluffed on the final jump as well
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in blowing
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of fluffing
Add vinaigrette to herb mixture, and toss gently; divide evenly among toasts, fluffing up when arranging.
—
Chiara Kim,
PEOPLE,
25 June 2026
The instructions guided us to put in the dryer for 10 minutes after unpacking, and this makes all the difference in fluffing it up!
—
Briana Feigon,
Architectural Digest,
17 June 2026
This allows the grains to hydrate fully before fluffing.
—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
7 May 2026
And as mentioned above, your curls must be 100% dry before breaking them up, fluffing them, or touching them.
—
Catharine Malzahn,
Glamour,
4 May 2026
And despite captain Wendie Renard fluffing the initial penalty, she was afforded a second chance because Arsenal goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar had stepped off her line.
—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
3 May 2026
Tidy living areas by fluffing pillows, folding blankets, and removing visible pet hair.
—
Maria Sabella,
The Spruce,
16 Mar. 2026
Remove thick, dense piles of wet and matted leaves, or consider gently fluffing them up with a rake.
—
Heather Zidack,
Hartford Courant,
14 Mar. 2026
Following Odsonne Édouard's second-half equalizer, Tosin snatched three points for Lorient in the 65th minute, fluffing his initial attempt before rounding the Lens goalkeeper to score.
—
ABC News,
14 Mar. 2026
Chiara Kim,
PEOPLE,
25 June 2026
The instructions guided us to put in the dryer for 10 minutes after unpacking, and this makes all the difference in fluffing it up!
—
Briana Feigon,
Architectural Digest,
17 June 2026
This allows the grains to hydrate fully before fluffing.
—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
7 May 2026
And as mentioned above, your curls must be 100% dry before breaking them up, fluffing them, or touching them.
—
Catharine Malzahn,
Glamour,
4 May 2026
And despite captain Wendie Renard fluffing the initial penalty, she was afforded a second chance because Arsenal goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar had stepped off her line.
—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
3 May 2026
Tidy living areas by fluffing pillows, folding blankets, and removing visible pet hair.
—
Maria Sabella,
The Spruce,
16 Mar. 2026
Remove thick, dense piles of wet and matted leaves, or consider gently fluffing them up with a rake.
—
Heather Zidack,
Hartford Courant,
14 Mar. 2026
Following Odsonne Édouard's second-half equalizer, Tosin snatched three points for Lorient in the 65th minute, fluffing his initial attempt before rounding the Lens goalkeeper to score.
—
ABC News,
14 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fluffing
Verb
-
My first few hours with the EM11 NL were marked by overshooting links, fumbling through simple selections, and occasionally wondering why anyone would voluntarily use a vertical mouse.
-
Bennett is concerned, for instance, that Hong could win her primary and then be defeated in November by Republican Tom Tiffany, fumbling the governorship of a swing state into the hands of a far-right Freedom Caucus member who dabbled in 2020 election conspiracy theories.
Verb
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Technically, officials said, blowing past the deadline means Alameda County is no longer in exclusive negotiations with the Oakland Acquisition Company.
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But rather than cede ground to an outsider, the town's residents plant TNT in every single structure, blowing them up before Lassiter can get his hands on them.
Verb
-
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has also fallen foul of Germany’s World Cup elimination by Paraguay, after stumbling into a social media debacle following a communications blunder.
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There's been some stumbling plays, thwarted by tripping and dramatic falls.
Verb
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The set is selling quickly, with Wayfair dubbing it a popular product.
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Those efforts went beyond dubbing audio in different languages to include adapting jokes and other details in the script.
Verb
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Neural pathways controlling core bodily functions — feeling in the limbs, movement and breathing — were collapsing one by one, like circuit breakers tripping in rapid succession.
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The primary question is whether this crowded field of new entrants is actually accomplishing anything, or whether its members are simply tripping over one another with deleterious impact.
Verb
-
After all, plenty of cocktail enthusiasts already complain about mosquitoes ruining a summer evening.
-
The company was saving a few bucks but ruining its product.
Cite this Entry
“Fluffing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fluffing. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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