fumblings
Awkward groping movements
Fumblings are clumsy, groping attempts at something—awkward searches or uncertain handling.
The word often describes physical awkwardness: his fumblings in the dark for the light switch.
It also applies to halting efforts at communication or intimacy: their teenage fumblings in the back seat, the fumblings of a novice politician at the podium.
Acting with clumsy incompetence
- bunglingMishandling through incompetence
- botchingDoing something poorly
- muddlingConfusedly mixing up
- mismanagingHandling responsibilities poorly
floundering · struggling · groping · trial and error · false starts · misfires · missteps · errors
Involuntary speech repetition
- stutteringInvoluntary speech disfluency
- stumblingWalking clumsily, almost falling
- haltingMarked by hesitation
- mumblingIndistinct, quiet speech
sputtering · tongue-tied · faltering · garbling · misspeaking · babbling · rambling · incoherence
Searching by touch alone
- pettingAffectionate stroking
- pawingClumsy, grabby touching
- caressingTouching with affection
- touchingEvoking gentle emotion
fondling · clumsiness · inexperience · teenage · backseat · first base · making out
Searching by touch alone
- graspingGreedy for wealth
- clutchingHolding tightly onto
- droppingLetting something fall
- mishandlingManaging badly or clumsily
pawing · scrabbling · grabbing · snatching · flailing · scrambling · handling · slipping
Searching by touch alone
- feeling aroundSearching by touch
- pattingLight repeated touching
- rummagingSearching by moving things
- rootingActively cheering someone on
probing · exploring · hunting · fishing · reaching · sifting · casting about · scrabbling
blundering
Acting with clumsy incompetence
mismanaging · floundering · struggling · groping · trial and error · false starts · misfires · missteps · errors · mistakes
stammering
Involuntary speech repetition
- stutteringInvoluntary speech disfluency
- stumblingWalking clumsily, almost falling
- haltingMarked by hesitation
mumbling · sputtering · tongue-tied · faltering · garbling · misspeaking · babbling · rambling · incoherence · inarticulate
groping
Searching by touch alone
touching · fondling · clumsiness · inexperience · teenage · backseat · first base · making out
groping
Searching by touch alone
mishandling · pawing · scrabbling · grabbing · snatching · flailing · scrambling · handling · slipping · bobbling
groping
Searching by touch alone
- feeling aroundSearching by touch
- pattingLight repeated touching
- rummagingSearching by moving things
rooting · probing · exploring · hunting · fishing · reaching · sifting · casting about · scrabbling · digging
fumblingsmasterstrokes
Brilliantly successful actions
finesse · surgical precision · proficiencies · competencies · adeptness
- fumbling the bagFailing when victory's near