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
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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
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Recent Examples of botched
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
In all fairness, the idea that five disgruntled political operatives had staged a botched burglary made far more sense than to imagine a government conspiracy that ensnared the president, the attorney general, the FBI director, and the head of the CIA.
—
Tracy Grant,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
15 June 2026
Janine Schindler,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Still, Iowa’s botched 2020 caucus, where problems with technology and organization delayed the results for more than two weeks, remained a concern among the committee members.
—
Daniel C. Vock,
Chicago Tribune,
27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for botched
Adjective
Alpha Camp beat Charlie Camp into the finals in dramatic fashion despite Leiya's botched fire-starting.
—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
In all fairness, the idea that five disgruntled political operatives had staged a botched burglary made far more sense than to imagine a government conspiracy that ensnared the president, the attorney general, the FBI director, and the head of the CIA.
—
Tracy Grant,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
15 June 2026
Verb
Every time an underperforming manager missed a deadline or botched a client presentation, Marcus would swoop in, grab the metaphorical hose and put out the fire himself.
—
Janine Schindler,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Still, Iowa’s botched 2020 caucus, where problems with technology and organization delayed the results for more than two weeks, remained a concern among the committee members.
—
Daniel C. Vock,
Chicago Tribune,
27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for botched
Recent Examples of Synonyms for botched
Adjective
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The historic victory, the nation’s first ever in the World Cup, was overshadowed when the midfielder injured his leg in gruesome fashion following a clumsy challenge from Qatar’s Assim Madibo.
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Better systems beat willpower as clumsy Chiron enters your 6th House of Work and Health, reminding you that mistakes teach faster than shame.
Verb
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Before that, Tampa Bay fumbled scoring opportunities in five of the first seven innings and stranded five overall.
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After South Korea’s goalkeeper fumbled a ball, Luis Romo scored the goal that gave the Mexicans six points and pushed them to the top of the standings.
Adjective
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Your 2nd House of Finances hits an awkward angle as the nurturing Moon quincunxes ambitious Mars in your 9th House of Travel and Learning.
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But that doesn’t mean there still aren’t some awkward moments.
Verb
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For now, the press still sometimes bungled his name as Harry.
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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.
Verb
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Messi somehow blew a penalty kick in the eighth minute, when teammate Lautaro Martinez was brought down by Austrian defender Stefan Posch.
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Several hours before the whistle blew on the pitch, Norwegian fans flocked to Times Square in the heart of New York City to give their squad a proper sendoff.
Verb
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Its front-facing design deters pickpockets, while the water-resistant fabric protects your phone from surprise downpours or sweaty adventure days—because no one wants their phone ruined halfway through a trip.
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In practice, organic liquids like crude oil ruined everything.
Cite this Entry
“Botched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/botched. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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