as in to fumble
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
bungled the job the first time she tried to do it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of bungle
Alan Cowell, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2025
The Bulls bungled the first game of a favorable stretch.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 15 Jan. 2025
The Jets bungled five fourth quarter leads and lost, often with Rodgers, ball in his hands late in the game with a chance to win it.
—Zack Rosenblatt, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
The former student's attorney sent a letter to the USN board in August claiming the school bungled its response to the complaints.
—Nate Rau, Axios, 8 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bungle
Verb
In a bizarre episode in 1999, for instance, Mr. Simitis was accused by critics of bungling an attempt to shield Abdullah Ocalan, a fugitive rebel leader of Turkey’s Kurds, who was seized by Turkish security forces in Nairobi, Kenya.
—Alan Cowell, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2025
The Bulls bungled the first game of a favorable stretch.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 15 Jan. 2025
The Jets bungled five fourth quarter leads and lost, often with Rodgers, ball in his hands late in the game with a chance to win it.
—Zack Rosenblatt, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
The former student's attorney sent a letter to the USN board in August claiming the school bungled its response to the complaints.
—Nate Rau, Axios, 8 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bungle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bungle
Verb
-
Messes: The Blue Jays are fumbling a star It’s been a tough few years for the Blue Jays and high-end baseball talent.—
Chris Branch,
The Athletic,
19 Feb. 2025
-
Even Ferrell himself fumbled over the racy lines, which elicited so much laughter that both Thompson and Murphy struggled to hold back their smiles.—
Angela Andaloro,
People.com,
17 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Braden Mann’s botch of the opening kickoff, Luke McCaffrey’s 47-yard return and Jeremiah Trotter Jr.’s unnecessary roughness penalty embodied the sloppy play that’s recently been awarding opponents advantageous field position.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
The Athletic,
26 Dec. 2024
-
Lastly, there was the botch job of trading away Jake Guentzel at the deadline last season.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
16 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Courtenay Brown Feb 14, 2025 - Economy Trump trade plan intensifies The Trump trade war has blown past the realm of tariffs.—
Courtenay Brown,
Axios,
27 Feb. 2025
-
However, buying everything new for your space can get costly and can easily blow your budget.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Washington Commanders fans have not forgotten about Philadelphia mayor Cherelle Parker's spelling bobble last week.—
Joel Thayer,
Newsweek,
26 Jan. 2025
-
Its circular design fits the decor perfectly while leaving room to prevent damage to any bobbles and accessories.—
Shea Simmons,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Sometimes, one bad person or a few bad people can ruin things for everybody.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
-
The floods were also a disaster for businesses that lost valuable stock, like a local bookstore which saw $25,000 worth of books ruined, the BBC reported.—
Simon Perry,
People.com,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
What To Know There have been tensions over NATO accusing Russia of sabotaging vessels in the Baltic Sea and claims of hybrid warfare around what is dubbed the NATO Lake as the alliance's members move to combat Moscow's belligerence in the region.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
-
Pauline Kael dubbed his performance the best in the film.—
Carmel Dagan,
Variety,
27 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bungle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bungle. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share