as in clumsy
showing or marked by a lack of skill and tact (as in dealing with a situation)
a botched attempt to mend relations with our disaffected European allies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in fumbled
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
the first time we tried to make a cake, we botched the job completely
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 botched
Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 19 Mar. 2026
There were misfires, of course, like deals for Maker Studios and Club Penguin, not to mention a string of botched succession attempts, including his decision to settle on Bob Chapek after minimal vetting in 2020.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2026
Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2026
After Malinin botched his final free in the singles competition, Cowan kept his distance as the skater crumbled into a grimace of abject disappointment.
—Colleen Barry, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for botched
Adjective
Joe Biden Nothing hurt Biden's presidency more than the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan months into his first year in office.
—Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 19 Mar. 2026
There were misfires, of course, like deals for Maker Studios and Club Penguin, not to mention a string of botched succession attempts, including his decision to settle on Bob Chapek after minimal vetting in 2020.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2026
Verb
And botched by the officials, said Oklahoma State coach Jacie Hoyt.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2026
After Malinin botched his final free in the singles competition, Cowan kept his distance as the skater crumbled into a grimace of abject disappointment.
—Colleen Barry, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for botched
Recent Examples of Synonyms for botched
Adjective
-
But it’s played sincerely, so the visual contrast just makes the connection feel clumsy, if not outright absurd.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
23 Mar. 2026
-
McGee meets one of a clumsy TURF intern Pete, who is revealed to be Olivia's 18-year-old son, Matteo (Patrick Keleher) under interrogation.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Storm had the Inter&Co Stadium crowd of 11,127 people on their feet early after Columbus fumbled the opening kickoff and safety Josh Minkins jumped on it to give the Storm their initial possession inside the 30-yard line.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2026
-
As the years went by, judges complained that the city’s in-house lawyers had fumbled key casework.—
Joe Mahr,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
So Pakistan is already in an awkward position because the Saudis are being attacked.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Lock down the logistics first The fastest way to kill trip momentum is skipping the awkward conversations.—
Lauren Schuster,
Miami Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Apollo's acquisition came after Verizon Communications bought Yahoo's online operations in 2017 and then bungled an attempt to blend those services into AOL, another internet pioneer.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Apollo’s acquisition came after Verizon Communications bought Yahoo’s online operations in 2017 and then bungled an attempt to blend those services into AOL, another internet pioneer.—
Michael Liedtke,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But few, if any, think about what the pain of losing a championship in October will feel, something Blue Jays manager John Schneider had to endure last season when his team blew a 3-2 series lead to the Dodgers.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Last year, Duke blew a 14-point lead to lose to Houston in the Final Four with Flagg and Knueppel.—
Megan Armstrong,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Of course, it’s been ruined now because of the Coldplay concert.—
Maria Bamford,
Vulture,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Not a great weekend for Cinderella Has NIL ruined the college game?—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Botched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/botched. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
