sports Dropping the ball.

synonym: muff.

Feel about uncertainly or blindly.

synonym: grope.

Roget 61: derange; disarrange, misarrange^†; displace, misplace; mislay, discompose, disorder; deorganize^†, discombobulate, disorganize; embroil, unsettle, disturb, confuse, trouble, perturb, jumble, tumble; shuffle, randomize; huddle, muddle, toss, hustle, fumble, riot; bring into disorder, put into disorder, throw into disorder etc. 59; muss [U.S.]; break the ranks, disconcert, convulse; break in upon.    unhinge, dislocate, put out of joint, throw out of gear.    turn topsy-turvy etc. (invert) 218; bedevil; complicate, involve, perplex, confound; imbrangle^†, embrangle^†, tangle, entangle, ravel, tousle, towzle^†, dishevel, ruffle; rumple etc. (fold) 258.    litter, scatter; mix etc. 41.    rearrange etc. 148.    ... show more

Roget 379: touch, feel, handle, finger, thumb, paw, fumble, grope, grabble; twiddle, tweedle; pass the fingers over, run the fingers over; manipulate, wield; throw out a feeler.    ... show more

Roget 463: experiment; essay etc. (endeavor) 675; try, try out, assay; make an experiment, make a trial of; give a trial to; put on trial, subject to trial; experiment upon; rehearse; put to the test, bring to the test, submit to the test, submit to the proof; prove, verify, test, touch, practice upon, try one's strength; road-test, test drive, take for a spin; test fly.    grope; feel one's way, grope for one's way; fumble, t=atonner, aller =a t=atons [Fr.], put out a feeler, throw out a feeler; send up a trial balloon, send up a pilot balloon; see how the land lies, get the lay of the land, test the waters, feel out, sound out, take the pulse, see, check, check out [Coll.], see how the wind blows; consult the barometer; feel the pulse; fish for, bob for; cast for, beat about for; angle, trawl, cast one's net, beat the bushes.    try one's fortune etc. (adventure) 675; explore etc. (inquire) 461.    ... show more

Dutch: betasten

Make one's way clumsily or blindly:
— He fumbled towards the door.

synonym: blunder.

Handle clumsily.

Dutch: schutteren

Make a mess of, destroy or ruin.

synonyms: ball up, blow, bobble, bodge, bollix, bollix up, bollocks, bollocks up, botch, botch up, bumble, bungle, flub, fluff, foul up, fuck up, louse up, mess up, mishandle, muck up, muff, screw up, spoil ... show more.

Roget 699: be unskillful etc. adj.; not see an inch beyond one's nose; blunder, bungle, boggle, fumble, botch, bitch, flounder, stumble, trip; hobble etc. 275; put one's foot in it; make a mess of, make hash of, make sad work of; overshoot the mark.    play tricks with, play Puck, mismanage, misconduct, misdirect, misapply, missend.    stultify oneself, make a fool of oneself, commit oneself; act foolishly; play the fool; put oneself out of court; lose control, lose control of oneself, lose one's head, lose one's cunning.    begin at the wrong end; do things by halves etc. (not complete) 730; make two bites of a cherry; play at cross purposes; strain at a gnat and swallow a camel etc. (caprice) 608; put the cart before the horse; lock the stable door when the horse is stolen etc. (too late) 135.    not know what one is about, not know one's own interest, not know on which side one's bread is buttered; stand in one's own light, quarrel with one's bread and butter, throw a stone in one's own garden, kill the goose which lays the golden eggs, pay dear for one's whistle, cut one's own throat, bum one's fingers; knock one's head against a stone wall, beat one's head against a stone wall; fall into a trap, catch a Tartar, bring the house about one's ears; have too many eggs in one basket (imprudent) 863, have too many irons in the fire.    mistake etc. 495; take the shadow for the substance etc. (credulity) 486; bark up the wrong tree; be in the wrong box, aim at a pigeon and kill a crow; take the wrong pig by the tail, get the wrong pig by the tail, get the wrong sow by the ear, get the dirty end of the stick; put the saddle on the wrong horse, put a square peg into a round hole, put new wine into old bottles.    cut blocks with a razor; hold a farthing candle to the sun etc. (useless) 645; fight with a shadow, grasp at a shadow; catch at straws, lean on a broken reed, reckon without one's host, pursue a wild goose chase; go on a fool's goose chase, sleeveless errand; go further and fare worse; lose one's way, miss one's way; fail etc. 732.    ... show more

Dutch: bederven, hannesen, haspelen, infesteren, klunzen, krukken, mispeuteren, naar de knoppen helpen, stuntelen, verbroddelen, verbrodden, verbruien, vergallen, verhaspelen, verkankelemienen, verkankeren, verkloten, verknallen, verknoeien, verknollen, verpesten, verprutsen, versjteren, verstieren, verzieken ... show more

Drop or juggle or fail to play cleanly a grounder.