Awkwardly trying to do something with clumsy hand movements, or generally being disorganized and clumsy.
From Middle English 'fomlen,' possibly related to Old Norse 'falma' (to grope about). Describes physical clumsiness since around the 1500s.
In American football, 'fumbling' the ball is one of the most feared mistakes—losing the ball means the other team might score—so the word carries real drama in sports culture!
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