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bungle 1 of 2

verb

ˈbəŋ-gəl How to pronounce bungle (audio)
Definition of bunglenext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bungle

2 of 2

noun

as in botch

Related Words

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
Verb
On Monday, a judge on Staten Island temporarily blocked the city from implementing the tax due to a lawsuit brought by a group of homeowners who allege the city bungled the rollout of the tax. — Cbs New York Team, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026 The combustion of Graham Platner’s candidacy in Maine is another blow to a Democratic Party trying to mend its reputation after bungling the 2024 presidential election. — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 9 July 2026
Noun
With suspiciously fortuitous timing, Andy is snapped up as Runway’s new features editor—a move that Irv Ravitz (Tibor Feldman), the Si Newhouse-esque head of Elias-Clarke, hopes will salvage what remains of the publication’s credibility in the wake of Miranda’s bungle. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2026 In addition to Robinhood’s Platinum card, there is Citi’s $695-per-year Strata Elite, whose debut last year was marred by an application-process bungle that saw the bank freeze thousands of accounts—but which has proved popular nonetheless. — Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bungle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bungle
  1. fumble
  2. botch
  3. blow
  4. bobble
  5. ruin
  6. dub
Verb
  • On third-and-3 in NU territory, running back Damian Henderson II fumbled the handoff, and NU linebacker Brus recovered it at the NU 20.
    — Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Secure bags together with an industry secret Airline staff have an ability to bob and weave through terminals without fumbling their bags.
    — Abbey Hudetz, Travel + Leisure, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of fumble
Noun
  • Of course this was a calculated power play, not a bureaucratic botch.
    — U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
  • During last week's WWE SmackDown, a series of mistakes and botches drew harsh criticism from fans.
    — Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
Definition of botch
Verb
  • Giudice struck a few poses for the camera before blowing a kiss to wrap the clip.
    — Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 21 Sep. 2026
  • More is surely going on, undetected or unreported, even as there has been a minor online symphony of whistle-blowing, alarm-bell tolling, and pleas for legislative action.
    — Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of blow
Noun
  • Meanwhile, the Dodgers added two more insurance runs in the fifth with a solo homer from Ohtani, a double from Pages and a couple of defensive bobbles by the Rockies.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Others secured the football, either cleanly or after a brief bobble.
    — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of bobble
Verb
  • Before the attack, millions of books a year were printed in this space, where there’s now nothing but piles of swollen book stock, ruined after firefighters put out the blaze.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026
  • But Timothy Leary’s version became the dominant idea of psychedelics, and when President Ronald Reagan’s War on Drugs began, psychedelics were vilified as the gateway to ruin.
    — Claire Hoffman, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of ruin
Verb
  • Congress this week attempted to rush the measure, dubbed the Ratepayer Protection Act, in the waning days before November’s election, as data centers have become an increasingly contentious issue.
    — Justin Papp, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Easy to cast and machine, cheap to manufacture, the material – dubbed Pykrete – showed some promise.
    — Mike McRae September 16, New Atlas, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of dub

Browse Nearby Words

bunging up
bungle
bungled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bungle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bungle. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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