fumble

About 0.27 uses per million words.

Meaning

1. verb To handle nervously or awkwardly.

   Waiting for the interview, he fumbled with his tie.

2. verb To grope awkwardly in trying to find something

   He fumbled for his keys.

3. verb To blunder uncertainly.

   He fumbled through his prepared speech.

4. verb To grope about in perplexity; to seek awkwardly.

   to fumble for an excuse

5. verb To drop a ball or a baton etc. by accident.
6. verb To handle much; to play childishly; to turn over and over.
7. verb Of a man, to sexually underperform. .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller}
8. noun The dropping of a ball by accident.

Similar words

bungle mess up muck up louse up botch up botch blunder bollocks up foul up flub

Often followed by

with for in and around at the through on

Word family

fumbled fumbler fumblers fumbles fumbling fumblingly