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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 booting
Here’s what audiences should know before booting up their screens.
—
Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
For some, such as Platner, who supports Medicare for All, that also means booting out the current congressional leaders, who critics accuse of being too cozy with donors.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
Gonzalez bounced back on his next attempt, booting a 52-yarder to put the Falcons up 17-14 as time expired in the third quarter.
—CBS News, 30 Nov. 2025
The board changes come just months after Novo appointed Doustdar as chief executive, booting former CEO Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, in part blaming him for the current trajectory of the company and its shares.
—Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 14 Nov. 2025
Prince Andrew's ex-wife Ferguson, however, has also dropped use of her duchess title amid the scandal, and King Charles is reportedly booting the former couple (who continue to live together) from their longtime Royal Lodge home.
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
Upon booting up the game and working through a pretty robust character creator, players arrive in Lumiose City and are immediately ambushed by a content creator/social media manager working for the corporation Quasartico, Inc.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2025
BMCs also enable some of the most sensitive operations, such as reflashing the firmware for the UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) that’s responsible for loading the server OS when booting.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 24 Sep. 2025
An incredible series of plays, a last-gasp effort, and the fortuitous foot of Matt Prater, the field goal kicker who’d been in Buffalo no more than 100 hours, booting a 32-yarder for the win.
—Coy Wire, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
For some, such as Platner, who supports Medicare for All, that also means booting out the current congressional leaders, who critics accuse of being too cozy with donors.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
Gonzalez bounced back on his next attempt, booting a 52-yarder to put the Falcons up 17-14 as time expired in the third quarter.
—CBS News, 30 Nov. 2025
The board changes come just months after Novo appointed Doustdar as chief executive, booting former CEO Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, in part blaming him for the current trajectory of the company and its shares.
—Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 14 Nov. 2025
Prince Andrew's ex-wife Ferguson, however, has also dropped use of her duchess title amid the scandal, and King Charles is reportedly booting the former couple (who continue to live together) from their longtime Royal Lodge home.
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
Upon booting up the game and working through a pretty robust character creator, players arrive in Lumiose City and are immediately ambushed by a content creator/social media manager working for the corporation Quasartico, Inc.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2025
BMCs also enable some of the most sensitive operations, such as reflashing the firmware for the UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) that’s responsible for loading the server OS when booting.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 24 Sep. 2025
An incredible series of plays, a last-gasp effort, and the fortuitous foot of Matt Prater, the field goal kicker who’d been in Buffalo no more than 100 hours, booting a 32-yarder for the win.
—Coy Wire, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for booting
Verb
-
Yet, as any visitor stalled in traffic or fumbling for cash to top up a transit card discovers, the old Seoul persists beneath the new.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
-
What to know about the Patriots-Texans game Despite three turnovers and Drake Maye fumbling four times, the Patriots held on to beat the Houston Texans, 28-16.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
They’ve been burned enough by blowing leads this season.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Wilkerson treated him like a traffic cone, blowing by and bullying him for baskets.—
Aaron Heisen,
Daily News,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
William Stevenson, reportedly former first lady Jill Biden's ex-husband, was arrested and charged with murdering his current wife, authorities said Tuesday.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
3 Feb. 2026
-
This wave of destruction culminated in Vikernes murdering a rival and former bandmate, stabbing him twenty-three times.—
Rachel Wetzler,
Artforum,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Booting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/booting. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
