bungle

verb bun·gle \ ˈbəŋ-gəl \

Definition of bungle

bungled; bungling play \ˈbəŋ-g(ə-)liŋ\

intransitive verb

:to act or work clumsily and awkwardly

bungled badly in the campaign

transitive verb

:mishandle, botch

bungle a job

bungled the investigation

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bungle

noun

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bungler

play \-g(ə-)lər\ noun

See bungle defined for English-language learners

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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 of bungle from the Web

During the call, which Mr. Trump initiated on Aug. 9 from his New Jersey golf club, the president accused Mr. McConnell of bungling the health care issue.

— tory newmyer, Washington Post, "The Finance 202: Trump sets Wall Street on edge with shutdown threat," 24 Aug. 2017
During the call, which Mr. Trump initiated on Aug. 9 from his New Jersey golf club, the president accused Mr. McConnell of bungling the health care issue.

— tory newmyer, Washington Post, "The Finance 202: Trump sets Wall Street on edge with shutdown threat," 24 Aug. 2017
During the call, which Trump initiated Aug. 9 from his New Jersey golf club, the president accused McConnell of bungling the health care issue.

— the new york times, NOLA.com, "Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell no longer on speaking terms, New York Times reports," 22 Aug. 2017
During the call, which Trump initiated Aug. 9 from his New Jersey golf club, the president accused McConnell of bungling the health-care issue.

— jonathan l martin, The Seattle Times, "Trump, McConnell locked in ‘cold war,’ threatening the GOP agenda," 22 Aug. 2017
During the call, which Mr. Trump initiated on Aug. 9 from his New Jersey golf club, the president accused Mr. McConnell of bungling the health care issue.

— alexander burns and jonathan martin, New York Times, "McConnell, in Private, Doubts if Trump Can Save Presidency," 22 Aug. 2017
During the call, which Mr. Trump initiated on Aug. 9 from his New Jersey golf club, the president accused Mr. McConnell of bungling the health care issue.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "What Happens Next in Arizona?," 22 Aug. 2017
Parties representing a majority in parliament last month sought no-confidence motions against three of his ministers after a government agency bungled a cyber-security breach.

— niklas magnusson, Bloomberg.com, "‘Political Mess’ in Sweden Carries Dangerous Economic Sting," 2 Aug. 2017
A plot twist is telegraphed too early, bungled and then over-explained, while another goes by without any context whatsoever.

— katie walsh, idahostatesman, "‘Atomic Blonde’ loses its punch in second half," 27 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bungle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of bungle

perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Icelandic banga to hammer

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First Known Use: 1530

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bungle Synonyms

BUNGLE Defined for English Language Learners

bungle

verb

Definition of bungle for English Language Learners

: to make mistakes in doing (something) : to not do (something) well or successfully

BUNGLE Defined for Kids

bungle

verb bun·gle \ ˈbəŋ-gəl \

Definition of bungle for Students

bungled; bungling

:to act, do, make, or work badly

bungled the job

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bungler

noun

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