bungle

verb

bun·​gle ˈbəŋ-gəl How to pronounce bungle (audio)
bungled; bungling ˈbəŋ-g(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce bungle (audio)

intransitive verb

: to act or work clumsily and awkwardly
bungled badly in the campaign

transitive verb

: mishandle, botch
bungle a job
bungled the investigation
bungle noun
bungler noun

Examples of bungle in a Sentence

The government bungled badly in planning the campaign. bungled the job the first time she tried to do it
Recent Examples on the Web Commentary and opinions Editorial: Florida shows how to bungle a measles outbreak. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2024 The military’s response to Mr. Khan’s resurgent public support was bungled at best — and severely miscalculated at worst, analysts say. Christina Goldbaum, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2024 Administration officials faulted the head of Health and Human Services, Xavier Becerra, who had recently been confirmed, for bungling the response. Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2024 Many successful comedians, from Damon Wayans to Jenny Slate, famously bungled their stints at 30 Rock and got fired in their debut seasons, before launching careers outside the Lorne Michaelsverse. TIME, 23 Feb. 2024 If bungled, the flourish could undercut Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey’s alt-rock masterpiece, which claimed the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for drama. Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 30 Jan. 2024 There’s too much of a veteran presence and too much high-level, intelligent talent to bungle the opportunity. Mike Preston, Baltimore Sun, 11 Jan. 2024 Though his government bungled the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has regrouped, in part because Mr. Putin was willing to accept enormous casualties. Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times, 13 Dec. 2023 In New York, an independent commission bungled the job so badly that the state legislature stepped in to create new maps. Marilyn W. Thompson, ProPublica, 18 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bungle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Icelandic banga to hammer

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of bungle was in 1530

Dictionary Entries Near bungle

Cite this Entry

“Bungle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bungle. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bungle

verb
bun·​gle ˈbəŋ-gəl How to pronounce bungle (audio)
bungled; bungling -g(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce bungle (audio)
: to act, do, make, or work badly
bungle a job
bungle noun
bungler noun

More from Merriam-Webster on bungle

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!