Meaning & use
fumble
To handle something clumsily, or to drop or mishandle it while trying to hold or catch it.
See it in a sentence
He fumbled with his keys in the dark before finally unlocking the front door.
The receiver fumbled the ball on the final play, and the other team recovered it.
A note on using this word
Fumble often describes nervous or awkward handling with the hands, and in sports it specifically means dropping the ball.
Words with a similar meaning
bunglemishandle
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Make it your own
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