fluff one's lines

verb

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: To stumble over or otherwise misspeak one's lines.

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Meanings

verbfluff one's lines (third-person singular simple present fluffs one's lines, present participle fluffing one's lines, simple past and past participle fluffed one's lines)

present singular third person fluffs one's lines · participle present fluffing one's lines · participle past fluffed one's lines · past fluffed one's lines

  1. broadcastingUsed other than figuratively or idiomatically: To stumble over or otherwise misspeak one's lines.
  2. figurativelyTo make a mistake.

    It could've been even worse too had Giroud not fluffed his lines twice in as many minutes.

    2014, Neil Collins, Make Us Dream: A Fan's View of the 2013/14 Season, Lulu.com, →ISBN, page 119
    2 more examples

    Conway headed a Nugent effort off the line and substitute Aron Gunnarsson fluffed his lines when presented with a great chance late on.

    2013, Scott Johnson, Blues Are Up, Y Lolfa, →ISBN

    Having already fluffed his lines under the bomb that had led to Montgomery's try, Jenkins was found wanting again less than a minute after the restart.

    2021, Tom English, Peter Burns, This is Your Everest: The Lions, the Springboks and the Epic Tour of 1997, Birlinn Ltd, →ISBN
Cite this entry
APA

fluff one's lines. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fluff%20one's%20lines

MLA

“fluff one's lines.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fluff%20one's%20lines. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fluff one's lines,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fluff%20one's%20lines.

Source: fluff one's lines on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.