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
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Recent Examples of bungle
Christopher Cann, USA Today, 5 June 2025
Anyone who watched Anderson and president Michael Crow bungle their way through a multi-year football crisis and show little regard for diehard fans was understandably skeptical of Crow’s decision to hire from within.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 22 May 2025
Further investigation showed that the department bungled follow-up care too, failing to investigate the sources of lead exposure for some children.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 9 May 2025
The ensuing play again defensively broke down for the Giants when Gold Glove third baseman Matt Chapman bungled the ground ball off Dansby Swanson’s bat as Crow-Armstrong’s presence at third and deke home coincided with the mishandle.
—Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bungle
Noun
Read's defense claims he was left to die by local cops, who then purposely bungled the investigation as part of a cover up.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 5 June 2025
Anyone who watched Anderson and president Michael Crow bungle their way through a multi-year football crisis and show little regard for diehard fans was understandably skeptical of Crow’s decision to hire from within.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 22 May 2025
Further investigation showed that the department bungled follow-up care too, failing to investigate the sources of lead exposure for some children.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 9 May 2025
The ensuing play again defensively broke down for the Giants when Gold Glove third baseman Matt Chapman bungled the ground ball off Dansby Swanson’s bat as Crow-Armstrong’s presence at third and deke home coincided with the mishandle.
—Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bungle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bungle
Verb
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But then Superman lost flight and Warners fumbled the lucrative Reeve franchise greatly.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
8 July 2025
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Ferguson couldn't find the end zone once, and even fumbled the ball four times, after preventing fumbles entirely during his first two seasons in the league.—
Justin Grasso,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
Noun
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The 10-member panel’s first time out, in 2022, was a total botch, as the process was unconstitutionally hijacked by Democrats in the Legislature until it was stopped by the state’s highest court.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
19 June 2025
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Those communication botches, whether on the break or in the half court, often include Towns, who once again vanished as a scorer.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
Verb
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Some of the clips have also already begun to go viral including one of Chase’s gazelle-like movement and another of Hill blowing by Smith-Njigba in coverage.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
10 July 2025
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Water moving at 25 mph has the pressure equivalent of wind blowing at 790 mph, faster than the speed of sound.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
10 July 2025
Noun
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Yastremska decorated her Yonex bag with cute furry bobbles and ribbons in Ukrainian flag colors.—
Merlisa Lawrence Corbett,
Forbes.com,
6 July 2025
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During the Monday, June 16, episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the actress and producer, 61, appeared in a black Stella McCartney suit covered with 3D metallic bobbles.—
Catherine Santino,
People.com,
17 June 2025
Verb
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However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Olivia Lloyd
July 9,
Miami Herald,
9 July 2025
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Sophisticated travelers can savor world-class dining, from rich Hakata ramen to the most delicious gyoza, or explore modern art, castle ruins, and shops run by local artisans.—
Mark Lakin,
Travel + Leisure,
9 July 2025
Verb
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Rocket Factory Augsburg: Third on our list is Rocket Factory Augsburg, headquartered in the Bavarian city of the same name, with plans for a three-stage rocket dubbed RFA One that could eventually deliver up to 1.3 metric tons (2,866 pounds) of payload mass into a polar Sun-synchronous orbit.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
9 July 2025
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Osbourne’s all-star farewell concert on Saturday, dubbed Back to the Beginning, featured numerous bands besides Black Sabbath, including Metallica and Guns N’ Roses, who both paid tribute to the ailing musician.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
8 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bungle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bungle. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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