BUMBLE Synonyms: 153 Similar and Opposite Words

bumble 1 of 2

verb (1)

ˈbəm-bəl

Definition of bumble

as in to hum

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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bumble

2 of 2

verb (2)

as in to fumble

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 to stumble

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 to chat

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 bumble

Verb

The pair come off less as cybercriminal masterminds than as galumphing galoots—that is to say, a pair of bumbling oafs who thought that asking AI how to cover their tracks was going to keep them out of federal prison. — Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 14 May 2026 There’s no kids club or even pool in this boutique hotel, but that didn’t stop my kids from bumbling around and feeling at ease in an upscale environment. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 May 2026 Lori seems to be a bit of a blank slate, both to Julian’s bumbling children and to Julian himself, who thinks Lori has been hired as his assistant to help manage his affairs and sort through the paintings littering his crumbling abode. — David Sims, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026 Perhaps this all was unavoidable for a proud player and often bumbling franchise. — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bumble

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bumble

Verb

Duke also knew that in the country’s beautiful capital, Budapest, cafés hummed with arguments about poetry and politics, the press was relatively free, and Jewish businesses were still open.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
The company thinks its fully reusable Starship megarocket will be humming along by then, taking care of all its spaceflight needs.

— Mike Wall, Space.com, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of hum

Verb

The Cougars were stopped at the UCF 3 on consecutive drives before Overmyer fumbled at the UCF 7 and into the end zone, recovered by the Knights.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
On Friday, the Rams waived punt returner Xavier Smith, who fumbled in last season’s NFC championship game and made several decision-making errors against the Broncos.

— Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of fumble

Verb

Almost sounds silly now, with the way the team has stumbled and bumbled its way through the first four games.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
Of the seven clubs that had 14 or more players from their organizations appear in the WBC, several stumbled early and only the Phillies and Brewers made the postseason.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of stumble

Verb

Service is incredibly attentive and personable; everyone will want to stop and chat throughout the day.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
And in 2023, Tierra Whack and Lil Yachty chatted about hip-hop in Brooklyn, before Jon Batiste and Gucci Mane kept the conversation going.

— Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of chat

Verb

The awards buzz may prove tough to come by at this point, given that Digger was hit with a C+ CinemaScore from audiences, landing as one of the lowest grades for Cruise’s career, and has polarized critics.

— Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 4 Oct. 2026
One of the acts that made a big impression on the youngsters was the Allen Tolbert Unit, whose namesake would captivate them by buzzing up and down his guitar fretboard like a hummingbird in flight.

— Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of buzz

Verb

At that time, the company’s Fisher-Price, Barbie and American Girl brands were struggling to connect with changing consumer tastes and Mattel was reeling from the recent bankruptcy of Toys R Us.

— Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2026
But, like many Universities, Drexel has been struggling financially, in part due to declining enrollment.

— Andrew Stelzer, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of struggle

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bum (around)

bumble

bumbled

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“Bumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bumble. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of bumble

verb (1)

verb (2)

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