as in to fumble
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
you've mangled this so badly that we'll have to do it over
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mangle
Trees along the property were mangled.
—
Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 27 Apr. 2026
Fuqua’s film understands how precious childhood is, and the way that harsh treatment and rigid social expectations can mangle a young person’s outlook on life.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026
The 49ers Hall of Fame safety had his pinkie mangled on a tackle during a game in 1985, and played with a splint before having the digit amputated after the season.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 13 Apr. 2026
After the game, his face was mangled, with a cut across the bridge of his nose and what looked like a rug burn on his chin.
—Arpon Basu, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mangle
Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 27 Apr. 2026
Fuqua’s film understands how precious childhood is, and the way that harsh treatment and rigid social expectations can mangle a young person’s outlook on life.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026
The 49ers Hall of Fame safety had his pinkie mangled on a tackle during a game in 1985, and played with a splint before having the digit amputated after the season.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 13 Apr. 2026
After the game, his face was mangled, with a cut across the bridge of his nose and what looked like a rug burn on his chin.
—Arpon Basu, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mangle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mangle
Verb
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After South Korea’s goalkeeper fumbled a ball, Luis Romo scored the goal that gave the Mexicans six points and pushed them to the top of the standings.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
-
OnlyFans fumbled a previous version of this dilemma.—
Gustavo Turner,
HollywoodReporter,
17 June 2026
Verb
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Corlys and Lohar find each other in the scrum and both land powerful blows before Corlys is thrown into the sea, leaving Alyn of Hull to finish off his father’s enemy.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
22 June 2026
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Messi somehow blew a penalty kick in the eighth minute, when teammate Lautaro Martinez was brought down by Austrian defender Stefan Posch.—
Filip Bondy,
New York Daily News,
22 June 2026
Verb
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In particular, a short tunnel section dubbed PrK, which connects the Russian Zvezda module to the station’s aft docking port, has been leaking air on and off since at least 2019, alarming officials.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
18 June 2026
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In an all-day meeting, members of the FDA’s advisory committee—known as VRBPAC for Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee—pored over data and presentations on the vaccine, which is dubbed mRNA-1010 and branded as mFlusiva.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
18 June 2026
Verb
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Don't Worry Too Much About Saltwater Or Chlorine Many people assume a quick swim in the ocean or pool will ruin their sunglasses.—
Gabi De la Rosa,
Southern Living,
20 June 2026
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Could the Boston Celtics or another team ruin the Heat’s plan, swooping in and trading for Antetokounmpo this offseason and getting a long-term commitment from him?—
Anthony Chiang
June 19,
Miami Herald,
19 June 2026
Verb
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Chisholm's followed with a liner off the base of the wall in right before scoring when second baseman Travis Bazzana botched a grounder.—
CBS New York Team,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
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Chisolm followed with a liner off the base of the wall in right before scoring when second baseman Travis Bazzana botched a grounder.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 June 2026
Verb
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The plague victims likely hunted, skinned and butchered marmots for their meat and fur, which would have exposed members of the community to the bacteria, Macleod said.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
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Normally, that involves making stone tools, butchering deer, or distilling birch tar.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
2 June 2026
Verb
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For now, the press still sometimes bungled his name as Harry.—
Eric Moskowitz,
The Atlantic,
31 May 2026
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San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, who polled at 5% in the CBS survey, accused Becerra of bungling the federal government’s response to COVID-19, mpox and the influx in child migrants under former President Joe Biden.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Both victims died in separate mobile homes that were destroyed about two to three miles apart, Bullard said.—
Briana Waxman,
CNN Money,
22 June 2026
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If Iran’s atomic weapons infrastructure was destroyed in this war, funneling hundreds of billions into the country can’t be used to rebuild it.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
21 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mangle. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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