Synonym Chooser

How does the verb mangle contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of mangle are batter, cripple, maim, and mutilate. While all these words mean "to injure so severely as to cause lasting damage," mangle implies a tearing or crushing that leaves deep wounds.

a soldier's leg mangled by shrapnel

When would batter be a good substitute for mangle?

Although the words batter and mangle have much in common, batter implies a series of blows that bruise deeply, deform, or mutilate.

an old ship battered by fierce storms

When could cripple be used to replace mangle?

While in some cases nearly identical to mangle, cripple implies the loss or serious impairment of an arm or leg.

crippled for life in an accident

When is maim a more appropriate choice than mangle?

The meanings of maim and mangle largely overlap; however, maim implies the loss or injury of a bodily member through violence.

maimed by a shark

Where would mutilate be a reasonable alternative to mangle?

The synonyms mutilate and mangle are sometimes interchangeable, but mutilate implies the cutting off or removal of an essential part of a person or thing thereby impairing its completeness, beauty, or function.

a tree mutilated by inept pruning

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 mangle In our very own century, a president of the United States has mangled the meaning of witch hunt beyond anything but self-pitying victimhood. Greg Evans, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2025 McCarthy gives a great performance, playing up the press secretary’s more boorish traits as a gum-guzzling loudmouth that mangles words and twists facts like pretzels. Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 11 Feb. 2025 The wreck left the vehicles mangled in the road with one resting slightly on top of a boulder with its rear and passenger side crumpled. Anthony Solorzano, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2025 Torrey Pines was the site of his last top-10 finish on the PGA Tour in 2020, a year before Woods badly mangled his right leg in a car crash on a coastal Los Angeles road. Doug Ferguson, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mangle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mangle
Verb
  • But then Superman lost flight and Warners fumbled the lucrative Reeve franchise greatly.
    Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 8 July 2025
  • 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
Verb
  • 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
  • Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2025
Verb
  • 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
  • In previewing the project with WWD ahead of the opening in September, Castiglioni said the unit will be dubbed Plan C Frame and its format will be more akin to a concept store.
    Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 8 July 2025
Verb
  • Now a wonderful memory of the occasion will be ruined in my memories.
    Eric Thomas, Sun Sentinel, 9 July 2025
  • The ceiling was now on the floor, the world had turned itself upside down, her outfit and her day and her rug were seemingly ruined—and yet she herself was not hurt.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 July 2025
Verb
  • That Volpe has made a habit of botching plays in high-leverage situations has only compounded the issue, along with his lacking bat.
    Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 5 July 2025
  • Albertsons is still suing Kroger over the merger for allegedly botching the deal and dooming the companies' bid for regulatory approval.
    Alexander Coolidge, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Verb
  • Acheulean tools were known for more refined hand axes that had a pear or teardrop shape and were better at butchering wild game.
    Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 3 July 2025
  • For nearly half a century, Iran has been a thorn in the side of the world, killing and maiming American soldiers, butchering Israeli citizens, threatening its neighbors and fostering terror around the world.
    Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 26 June 2025
Verb
  • What to know about the German Shepherd tied to the Karen Read trial Karen Read claims police bungled the investigation.
    Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 19 June 2025
  • Burnett did not relent, and Miramax arguably buried the film, bungling its marketing.
    Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 June 2025
Verb
  • The lawsuit alleges that Merit Street’s business partner, Trinity Broadcasting of Fort Worth, destroyed its television network and forced the bankruptcy declaration.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 July 2025
  • Grand Canyon Lodge North Rim wildfire: National Park Service says only hotel destroyed The Grand Canyon Lodge was the park's only hotel, according the National Park Service, with the next nearest lodgings roughly 18 miles away.
    John Tufts, IndyStar, 14 July 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Mangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mangle. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on mangle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!