as in to fumble
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
he booted the answer of what should have been an easy question
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in kick
a pleasurably intense stimulation of the feelings
the fans got a real boot out the team's lopsided victory over its longtime rivals
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to out
to drive or force out
the theater manager booted out the audience members who were making a disturbance
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 boot
Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 10 May 2026
In January 2003, angry former Time Warner shareholders booted Case as chairman, and that September, the board dropped the AOL name.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 9 May 2026
Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 14 May 2026
Noah Cates missed the final two games with a lower-body injury and was reportedly seen wearing a walking boot.
—Tom Dougherty, CBS News, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for boot
Verb
After a series of coups by officers dissatisfied with lagging counterterrorism efforts, juntas in the three countries booted France altogether, establishing close ties with Russia instead.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 10 May 2026
In January 2003, angry former Time Warner shareholders booted Case as chairman, and that September, the board dropped the AOL name.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 9 May 2026
Noun
And yes, accessorizing often included ankle boots and black fedoras.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 14 May 2026
Noah Cates missed the final two games with a lower-body injury and was reportedly seen wearing a walking boot.
—Tom Dougherty, CBS News, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for boot
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boot
Verb
-
The stress of getting to your airport gate on time, coupled with the excitement of getting to your destination, can cause even the most seasoned of travelers to fumble at security checkpoints.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
17 May 2026
-
Santillan appears to be fumbling away his opportunity, allowing nine runs (eight earned) over his last five appearances.—
Mike Barner,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Beach balls appeared among fans in the South Bank within six minutes of kick-off.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
-
For one thing, that extra speed—plus a spike in spin, which has allowed pitchers to throw harder while also making the ball swerve, dive, and kick—has given pitchers an even greater advantage over batters than before.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Zach Pop, who strained his calf, pitched a scoreless inning in a rehab outing with Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Saturday.—
Charlotte Varnes,
New York Times,
10 May 2026
-
The three-time All-Star, who underwent a cleanup procedure on his left elbow over the offseason, is expected to make his next start with the Yankees after completing his third rehab outing on Wednesday.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
But second-year point guard Carla Leite, who had hurt her ankle earlier in the evening, blew by Jones in isolation to tie the score 96-96 with 27 seconds to play.—
Sabreena Merchant,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
-
Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
And at the counter, where chef and guest are separated by little more than a stretch of the hand, everything rests on precision, presence and the quiet thrill of relinquishing control to the chef’s capable hands.—
Rachel Ingram,
Robb Report,
10 May 2026
-
But the mood onboard was festive, with passengers talking to each other about the thrill of joining a new route.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
Victor Wembanyama reacts after he was ejected for a flagrant foul during the first half of Game 4 in Minneapolis, Sunday, May 10, 2026.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
-
The San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves are tied 2-2, and everyone will be watching to see how Victor Wembanyama responds after being ejected in the second quarter of Game 4.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
The place is a sound-effects recording studio, with three sound designers creating and dubbing aural effects — footsteps on a sandy beach, flapping bird wings — onto pieces of film footage.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
14 May 2026
-
The sound engineer at the mixing console is dubbed Pierre (Vincent Cassel).—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Consider heading all the way north along the sand several miles to the pretty trails and quiet beach fronting Hanna Park or go south along the sand to the quarter-mile-long Jax Beach Pier, where surfers catch waves and anglers cast out lines for whatever is biting.—
Terry Ward,
Travel + Leisure,
9 May 2026
-
This phase is also an ideal chance to spot the bright streaks of material cast out during violent impact events.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
1 May 2026
Video
Some Odd Words with ISMO: "Junk in the Trunk"
Comedian ISMO on what separates a boot from a trunk
Cite this Entry
“Boot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boot. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
