fumble the bag

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Sense 1

Meaning · English

To make unwise financial decisions that lead one to lose or not make more money.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Ra quyết định tài chính không khôn ngoan dẫn đến mất tiền

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Register: slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

The accountant kept thousands of us entertained during his time on the show, with his unrelenting determination to not to fumble the bag – which stood at an impressive $100,000 (£81,000) when the series began.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

To miss out on an opportunity or to do a bad job using it.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Bỏ lỡ cơ hội hoặc làm việc không tốt

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Register: slang

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “fumble the bag” mean?

To make unwise financial decisions that lead one to lose or not make more money.

Is “fumble the bag” formal or informal?

fumble the bag is generally slang.