FUMBLE
Dictionary entry overview: What does fumble mean?
• FUMBLE (noun)
The noun FUMBLE has 1 sense:
1. (sports) dropping the ball
Familiarity information: FUMBLE used as a noun is very rare.
• FUMBLE (verb)
The verb FUMBLE has 5 senses:
1. feel about uncertainly or blindly
2. make one's way clumsily or blindly
3. handle clumsily
4. make a mess of, destroy or ruin
5. drop or juggle or fail to play cleanly a grounder
Familiarity information: FUMBLE used as a verb is common.
Dictionary entry details
• FUMBLE (noun)
Meaning:
(sports) dropping the ball
Classified under:
Nouns denoting acts or actions
Synonyms:
fumble; muff
Hypernyms ("fumble" is a kind of...):
bloomer; blooper; blunder; boner; boo-boo; botch; bungle; flub; foul-up; fuckup; pratfall (an embarrassing mistake)
Domain category:
American football; American football game (a game played by two teams of 11 players on a rectangular field 100 yards long; teams try to get possession of the ball and advance it across the opponents goal line in a series of (running or passing) plays)
baseball; baseball game (a ball game played with a bat and ball between two teams of nine players; teams take turns at bat trying to score runs)
• FUMBLE (verb)
Meaning:
Feel about uncertainly or blindly
Classified under:
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging
Synonyms:
fumble; grope
Context example:
She groped for her glasses in the darkness of the bedroom
Hypernyms (to "fumble" is one way to...):
look for; search; seek (try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP
Meaning:
Make one's way clumsily or blindly
Classified under:
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming
Synonyms:
fumble; blunder
Context example:
He fumbled towards the door
Hypernyms (to "fumble" is one way to...):
go across; go through; pass (go across or through)
Sentence frames:
Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Meaning:
Handle clumsily
Classified under:
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging
Hypernyms (to "fumble" is one way to...):
handle; palm (touch, lift, or hold with the hands)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
Meaning:
Make a mess of, destroy or ruin
Classified under:
Verbs of political and social activities and events
Synonyms:
bungle; flub; fluff; foul up; fuck up; louse up; mess up; mishandle; muck up; bumble; botch up; ball up; bobble; bodge; bollix; bollix up; bollocks; bollocks up; botch; spoil; muff; screw up; fumble; blow
Context examples:
I botched the dinner and we had to eat out / the pianist screwed up the difficult passage in the second movement
Hypernyms (to "fumble" is one way to...):
fail; go wrong; miscarry (be unsuccessful)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Meaning:
Drop or juggle or fail to play cleanly a grounder
Classified under:
Verbs of fighting, athletic activities
Context example:
fumble a grounder
Hypernyms (to "fumble" is one way to...):
play (participate in games or sport)
Domain category:
baseball; baseball game (a ball game played with a bat and ball between two teams of nine players; teams take turns at bat trying to score runs)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
