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
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of botched
Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 23 Feb. 2026
Invest in the right tools What’s the difference between a successful color application versus a botched dye job?
—Caroline C. Boyle, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026
Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 6 Feb. 2026
As someone who has botched a Valentine's Day or two, go ahead and take five with me and check that out.
—Joe Mutascio, IndyStar, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for botched
Adjective
Two teens and a young woman have been arrested for murder for a botched robbery of a Bronx BMW driver, police said Monday.
—Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 23 Feb. 2026
Invest in the right tools What’s the difference between a successful color application versus a botched dye job?
—Caroline C. Boyle, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026
Verb
Darnold, of course, is the great what-might-have-been for Jets fans, who watched helplessly as their team botched its oversight of the third overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 6 Feb. 2026
As someone who has botched a Valentine's Day or two, go ahead and take five with me and check that out.
—Joe Mutascio, IndyStar, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for botched
Recent Examples of Synonyms for botched
Adjective
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That makes the killers kind of human and fallible and clumsy, and these movies get a lot of mileage out of the slapstick shenanigans of their slasher chases.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2026
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Then, however, Phillips was sent off four minutes into the second half for a clumsy lunge at Svante Ingelsson, and suddenly Wednesday believed.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And the counseling office fumbled it.—
Sharyn Alfonsi,
CBS News,
2 Mar. 2026
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Cornell fumbled with Mercader’s clothing, trying to find them.—
Josh Ireland,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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He is seen as favoring Christine Lagarde, head of the European Central Bank, to take over WEF, though her huffy exit this year from a dinner stacked with US government officials may make things awkward.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
3 Mar. 2026
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His selection could prove awkward, as the Islamic Republic has long criticized hereditary rule and cast itself as a more just alternative.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Andrew Cunanan, and Beanie Feldstein’s wide-eyed Monica Lewinsky, a performance that might have achieved icon status had Disney not bungled the FX on Hulu rollout.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
12 Feb. 2026
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Chapek bungled the fallout, and as Disney’s business got hammered by the pandemic, the board ultimately brought Iger back in to steady the ship.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In a sign that the dinosaur fossil market remains strong, a rare young dinosaur skeleton blew past its $4 million to $6 million Sotheby’s preauction estimate in July and ended up fetching more than $30 million in a bidding frenzy, including fees and costs.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Mar. 2026
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During Israel’s 12-day war with Iran in June last year, the US blew through about a quarter of its THAAD missile interceptors.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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What father would ever allow such devastation, assuring fellow patriarchs that their lives without sons would be ruined forever?—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2026
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Burd and Batalucco have essentially ruined their home by placing cameras everywhere so Friends Keep Secrets can always be capturing whoever is wherever.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Botched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/botched. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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