as in mistake
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy
when she was told her information was wrong, she apologized for the flub and immediately corrected it
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to fumble
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
added too much flour and flubbed the gravy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to stumble
to make a mistake
at some point in your training you're going to flub, so don't let it rattle you
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flub
Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
Minaj appeared to immediately grasp her flub, covered her face and went silent for several awkward seconds.
—David K. Li, NBC news, 22 Dec. 2025
Charu Sinha, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2025
The comedian eventually flubbed a line and broke into laughter while performing the sketch on live TV.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flub
Noun
Prior to the flub, Foster discussed her background as a fluent French speaker.
—Verb
Padilla flubs a line in this version, but the sketch is somehow the better for it.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for flub
Noun
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One of the biggest mistakes people make with space heaters is using an extension cord.—
-
Jake returns to 2011 with the intention of going back to 1960 and doing it all over again, this time without making the mistakes that led to Sadie's death.—
Verb
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Beauty products have taken over my sink, leaving me fumbling for my go-to face washes and serums every morning and night.—
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The Steelers failed to capitalize on the miscues from a jittery Stroud, who fumbled twice and threw a pick deep in Pittsburgh territory.—
Verb
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Government agencies and businesses that invest in this training, and that insist every critical number survives a deterministic check, will capture AI's benefits without stumbling into its blind spots.—
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Dodge, still suffering the consequences of axing the popular previous generations of Charger and Challenger muscle cars, saw sales stumble down 28% compared with the previous year.—
Noun
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The governor refused to answer reporter questions on if whoever was responsible for the buyout blunder faced any disciplinary action, instead just confirming that action has been taken.—
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Experts say that the painful blunder could undercut trust in the agency and lead to confusion.—
Verb
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Texans defensive lineman Sheldon Rankins picked the ball up and ran it to the end zone for what felt like the knockout blow even though there was still a lot of time left to play.—
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Federal officers fired tear gas Monday to break up a crowd of whistle-blowing bystanders in Minneapolis who showed up to see the aftermath of a car crash involving immigration agents, just a few blocks from where Good was fatally shot.—
Verb
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Dellandrea was injured in the Sharks’ game on Tuesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets as his right leg struck the post after he was inadvertently tripped while driving to the net.—
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Any tease that the movie could possibly be about anything more — a love triangle, a recently deceased mother, a vet’s puzzlement that Hawaii doesn’t even have rabies — is nothing but a banana peel tripping the audience into expecting a narrative.—
Noun
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On the ground, first responders described how Watch Duty’s real-time wildfire mapping and alert app has become indispensable when fast-moving fires leave little room for hesitation or error.—
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This story has been updated to correct an error.—
Verb
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Two-time Olympian Jason Brown entered Saturday’s free skate in third but botched nearly every jump of his long program and tumbled to eighth.—
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The most minor miscalculation can botch a landing.—
Cite this Entry
“Flub.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flub. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
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