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 Directors are supposed to work behind the scenes, providing a company with guidance, occasionally managing orderly succession plans, not out there massively bungling a CEO’s firing, putting business and investments at risk, and attracting attention. Lila MacLellan, Fortune, 21 Nov. 2023 Legal professionals are racing to create guidelines for the technology’s use, to prevent inaccuracies from bungling major cases. Will Oremus, Washington Post, 16 Nov. 2023 Migrants remember soccer games, organized by Kidane, in which players who bungled a chance to score were shot. Ed Caesar, The New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2023 Two of Fortune’s favorite alumni, Bethany McLean and Joe Nocera, have a new book out this week called The Big Fail, that examines how the U.S. badly bungled the COVID pandemic. Alan Murray, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2023 Under the leadership of Attorney General Merrick Garland and prosecutor David Weiss, the Department of Justice has bungled the investigation of Biden’s son in a way that has served to shield the big guy. The Editors, National Review, 13 Sep. 2023 The use of jailhouse snitches in Orange County bungled at least 57 criminal cases, a public defender says. Helen Li, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2023 But the additional interviews will likely be seized on by congressional critics, mostly Republican, as proof that the administration bungled the probe into the attack, in addition to mishandling the withdrawal. Lolita C. Baldor The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2023 The additional interviews will likely be seized on by congressional critics, mostly Republican, as proof that the administration bungled the probe into the attack, in addition to mishandling the withdrawal. Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2023 See More

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 2 Dec. 2023.

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
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