as in fumbling
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
he booted the answer of what should have been an easy question
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Recent Examples of booting
Another is to power on the device and restart it as soon as Windows starts booting.
—
Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 14 May 2026
Upon booting the game up, a swift run of horns plays the main theme, a magnificent game-spanning refrain which appears during the mightiest moments, from title screen to credits.
—Billie Bugara, Pitchfork, 9 May 2026
Striker Dejan Joveljic slotted home his team-leading fifth goal of the year, booting in an 18th-minute mistake by the Sounders in front of their own goal.
—The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 2 May 2026
But coyotes have been steadily gaining territory, booting foxes out of any space wild enough for coyotes to live.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 21 Apr. 2026
Mission specialist Christina Koch noted an issue with booting up the part of Orion’s waste management system that collects urine.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 2 Apr. 2026
Eldridge expressed disdain for booting a routine grounder in the seventh, but rookie manager Tony Vitello came away impressed with the top prospect’s effort on defense.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2026
Strom added that the offering outreach to homeless people with the threat of booting them and throwing their belongings out is counterproductive.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 18 Feb. 2026
In fact, the IOC might consider booting the sport altogether in June.
—Dana Oneil, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 14 May 2026
Upon booting the game up, a swift run of horns plays the main theme, a magnificent game-spanning refrain which appears during the mightiest moments, from title screen to credits.
—Billie Bugara, Pitchfork, 9 May 2026
Striker Dejan Joveljic slotted home his team-leading fifth goal of the year, booting in an 18th-minute mistake by the Sounders in front of their own goal.
—The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 2 May 2026
But coyotes have been steadily gaining territory, booting foxes out of any space wild enough for coyotes to live.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 21 Apr. 2026
Mission specialist Christina Koch noted an issue with booting up the part of Orion’s waste management system that collects urine.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 2 Apr. 2026
Eldridge expressed disdain for booting a routine grounder in the seventh, but rookie manager Tony Vitello came away impressed with the top prospect’s effort on defense.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2026
Strom added that the offering outreach to homeless people with the threat of booting them and throwing their belongings out is counterproductive.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 18 Feb. 2026
In fact, the IOC might consider booting the sport altogether in June.
—Dana Oneil, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for booting
Verb
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Like, for example, calling a risky trick play in South Bend that resulted in wide receiver Makai Lemon fumbling on first-and-10 from the Notre Dame 37-yard line down three points in the fourth quarter.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
25 May 2026
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The whole series comes down to the Cavs fumbling away Game 1.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
24 May 2026
Verb
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Not because the Dodgers’ reliever gave up three runs in the eighth inning to the Philadelphia Phillies, blowing a save opportunity and getting tagged with his first loss of the season.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
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The plants store electricity generated by large solar and wind farms to release back on the power grid at night when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing.—
Paul Rogers,
Mercury News,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Worthington plays David Burroughs, a man wrongfully serving a life sentence for murdering his son.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
-
Hunter was convicted of murdering Green — who knew him only as his alias, Michael Berry — 24 years after her body was found in the trunk of her own car in the parking lot of a Walgreen’s store in Sanford.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Booting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/booting. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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