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
Zoe Collins Rath, Austin American Statesman, 22 Jan. 2026
And the quarterback position heading into the 2025 campaign was bungled, particularly considering the 14-win season Minnesota experienced in 2024 and the quality of the roster outside of the most important position this fall.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 17 Jan. 2026
Preston Fore, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bungle
Verb
With an 11-0 start for the first time since the 1990s, the Aggies bungled the last two games of the season losing to Texas in Rivalry Week and Miami in the first round of the College Football Playoffs.
—Zoe Collins Rath, Austin American Statesman, 22 Jan. 2026
And the quarterback position heading into the 2025 campaign was bungled, particularly considering the 14-win season Minnesota experienced in 2024 and the quality of the roster outside of the most important position this fall.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 17 Jan. 2026
Noun
The admission is just the latest bungle from New York’s beleaguered legal marijuana program, which has been hamstrung by legal challenges, a slow rollout and gaps in the law that allowed an illicit market to flourish.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bungle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bungle
Verb
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But Illinois is at risk of fumbling this opportunity.—
Susana A. Mendoza,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
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Though the darkness of the material never swamps the comedy, a balance McGee calibrated deliberately — less interested in the whodunit than in the women fumbling through it.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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During last week's WWE SmackDown, a series of mistakes and botches drew harsh criticism from fans.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
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This might seem like a minor quibble, but the fact that the new movie botches the whole wait-what-did-they-actually-do-last-summer thing speaks to a prevailing sense of laziness.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
16 July 2025
Verb
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And the wind that crosses Montezuma Mesa blows into the faces of the divers.—
Bill Center,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
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During that period, unsecured outdoor objects may be blown around, and driving on some roadways may become difficult.—
Julia James,
Dallas Morning News,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Some noticeable opening night wobbles and bobbles only served to prove that point.—
Lauren Warnecke,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Feb. 2026
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An opening run on the limit, with one slight bobble, that gave her a mammoth lead of 82 hundredths of a second.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Top awards executive Lisa Taback had her luggage ruined as well.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
22 Feb. 2026
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That’s when my Samsonite Paralux Carry-on ruined me for all other take-aboard luggage.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The blaze, dubbed the Nebo Mountain Fire, consumed 1,160 acres about 15 miles north of Fredericksburg and burned two outbuildings before it was contained on Wednesday night, according to city officials.—
Ricardo Delgado,
San Antonio Express-News,
26 Feb. 2026
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The company's chief financial officer discussed the new data center, which Musk dubbed MACROHARDRR, in an unsubtle dig at competitor Microsoft.—
Bracey Harris,
NBC news,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bungle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bungle. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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