as in to fumble
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in jumble
an unorganized collection or mixture of various things
this police procedural is basically a botch of plot elements stolen from other (and better) novels
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 botch
Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 16 June 2025
In 2020, Hilco Redevelopment Partners botched the demolition of an old coal plant’s smokestack, blanketing Little Village homes with dust and debris.
—Brian J. Rogal, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2025
Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025
Spider-Man 3 (2007) A botch job of oppositional motivations practically disowned by its own director, the messiest Spider-Man movie is a near-constant tonal misfire, simultaneously more serious than its predecessors and more willfully goofy.
—Darren Franich, EW.com, 7 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for botch
Verb
At the time, the club had badly botched their negotiations with franchise cornerstone Mookie Betts, then let All-Star and fan favorite Xander Bogaerts walk in free agency to San Diego.
—Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 16 June 2025
In 2020, Hilco Redevelopment Partners botched the demolition of an old coal plant’s smokestack, blanketing Little Village homes with dust and debris.
—Brian J. Rogal, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2025
Noun
Lastly, there was the botch job of trading away Jake Guentzel at the deadline last season.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025
Spider-Man 3 (2007) A botch job of oppositional motivations practically disowned by its own director, the messiest Spider-Man movie is a near-constant tonal misfire, simultaneously more serious than its predecessors and more willfully goofy.
—Darren Franich, EW.com, 7 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for botch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for botch
Verb
-
Marketing gets the lead, but operations fumbles the conversion.—
Michael Fox,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
-
In-ho began fumbling, accidentally letting go of the top and flinging it backwards.—
Esther Kang,
People.com,
26 June 2025
Noun
-
In jumbles of old stones that, to me, are barely legible as the remains of buildings, Cocon López could see the entire timeline of old Aké and how later people interacted with and repurposed what came before.—
Lizzie Wade,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 May 2025
-
Instead, voters themselves are jumbles of competing and sometimes contradictory interests.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
14 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
That connection and warmth was obvious on Friday night, with Cardi blowing past her bedtime to give the gays, the dolls and everyone else an experience beyond what any other NYC festival provides.—
Joe Lynch,
Billboard,
28 June 2025
-
The sound of wind blowing and the floorboards settling is enough to prompt her to peer outside for possible hazards, hastily locking the front door after scanning the perimeter.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
27 June 2025
Noun
-
So unless Guerin has something unforeseen up his sleeve to add a center via trade, their best option could be in Tuesday’s opening of free agency, though the options remaining there aren’t exactly of the top-six variety.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
-
The loss of these vulnerable birds would greatly reduce the variety of avian sizes and shapes and would harm ecosystems as well as humans that depend on unique birds for vital ecosystem functions.—
GrrlScientist,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
Verb
-
What to know about the German Shepherd tied to the Karen Read trial Karen Read claims police bungled the investigation.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
19 June 2025
-
Burnett did not relent, and Miramax arguably buried the film, bungling its marketing.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
14 June 2025
Noun
-
The challenge right now is to synchronize and systematize data collection and reporting such that meeting the current assortment of local, national and international requirements does not create an undue strain on the core business or leave that business open to risk of non-compliance.—
Mary Foley,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
The assortment was developed in tandem with the Nordstrom team with Shanker carefully considering which of her brands made sense to showcase in a new larger setting.—
Thomas Waller,
Footwear News,
1 July 2025
Verb
-
And just like that, Donald Trump ruined something else.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
26 June 2025
-
However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Daniella Segura,
Sacbee.com,
26 June 2025
Noun
-
Hamilton’s Cast Reunion at the Tony Awards Consumption of the Hamilton cast recording exploded following it being highlighted via a medley of songs performed during the 2025 Tony Awards.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
-
Mary’s get their bite from a seedy medley (including sunflower, pumpkin, flax, sesame, and poppy seeds) that imparts an earthy taste and serious body.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
10 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Botch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/botch. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share