shamble

verb

sham·​ble ˈsham-bəl How to pronounce shamble (audio)
shambled; shambling ˈsham-b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce shamble (audio)
Synonyms of shamble

intransitive verb

: to walk awkwardly with dragging feet : shuffle
shamble noun

Synonyms of shamble

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Examples of shamble in a Sentence

He shambled into the room. disconsolate and exhausted after losing the match, the wrestler shambled toward the locker room
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Ike Barinholtz, of The Studio, practically brings the house down as a circa-2015 Elon Musk, a guy who seems to shamble through life looking only vaguely, comically zonked, not dangerously so. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 7 Oct. 2026 Skipping inside, Nora joins a cadre of shambling interns whom the editorial staff regard with a mixture of bemusement and disdain. — Natalia Winkelman, Variety, 20 Sep. 2026 Bieber could be seen shambling inside, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic arrived by helicopter. — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 24 July 2026 There were two potential paths this hilariously overengineered weekend project masquerading as a clock could have shambled down. — Lee Hutchinson, ArsTechnica, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for shamble

Word History

Etymology

shamble bowed, malformed

First Known Use

1717, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shamble was in 1717

Rhymes for shamble

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Browse Nearby Words

Shambala
shamble
shambles
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Cite this Entry

“Shamble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shamble. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

shamble

verb
sham·​ble ˈsham-bəl How to pronounce shamble (audio)
shambled; shambling -b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce shamble (audio)
: to walk awkwardly with dragging feet : shuffle
shamble noun
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