as in fumbling
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
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Recent Examples of botching
Continue reading … RINSE AND REPEAT — CNN slammed for third time for botching NYC terrorist attack coverage.
—
FOXNews.com, 12 Mar. 2026
Or rather, none of it happens without the Rockies botching the Arenado thing so badly that CEO Dick Monfort and the family felt obligated to take this massive swing to try and replace him.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 21 Feb. 2026
He also was accused of botching medical procedures and causing animals to suffer.
—Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Atlanta still entered halftime with a comfortable 60-46 lead, however, after Boston squandered a chance to draw closer by botching the final possession of the half.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 29 Jan. 2026
How improbable was Romeo Doubs botching an onside kick?
—Dan Pompei, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
The episode ends with Hegseth botching the Peter Thiel extraction and ending up in jail himself right alongside Thiel.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 27 Nov. 2025
But Team Blue ultimately squanders their lead, completely botching the puzzle as the other two tribes smoke theirs.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 1 Oct. 2025
Even as his team keeps messing up, botching substitutions and committing untimely errors, Mike McDaniel generally keeps his calm.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
FOXNews.com, 12 Mar. 2026
Or rather, none of it happens without the Rockies botching the Arenado thing so badly that CEO Dick Monfort and the family felt obligated to take this massive swing to try and replace him.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 21 Feb. 2026
He also was accused of botching medical procedures and causing animals to suffer.
—Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Atlanta still entered halftime with a comfortable 60-46 lead, however, after Boston squandered a chance to draw closer by botching the final possession of the half.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 29 Jan. 2026
How improbable was Romeo Doubs botching an onside kick?
—Dan Pompei, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
The episode ends with Hegseth botching the Peter Thiel extraction and ending up in jail himself right alongside Thiel.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 27 Nov. 2025
But Team Blue ultimately squanders their lead, completely botching the puzzle as the other two tribes smoke theirs.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 1 Oct. 2025
Even as his team keeps messing up, botching substitutions and committing untimely errors, Mike McDaniel generally keeps his calm.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for botching
Verb
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This alone can shave valuable minutes off your screening and help you to breeze through the scanner instead of fumbling at the bins.—
Kayla Kitts,
Travel + Leisure,
13 Mar. 2026
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Kathy Ireland accused her former team of fumbling her multimillion-dollar fortune, according to documents obtained by Fox News Digital.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Wind speeds were blowing at 12 mph in Grant, with gusts up to 29 mph, and Fairplay was seeing winds at 21 mph with gusts of up to 38 mph at the time of the closure, according to AccuWeather.—
Aldo Svaldi,
Denver Post,
17 Mar. 2026
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Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The president, who admits this all could be challenged in court, urged the panel to back the SCORE Act, which would preempt state regulation of NIL payments, which the Commander in Chief says are especially ruining women’s sports.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Mar. 2026
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Google Nest WiFi Deal Bad Wi-Fi has a way of ruining everything.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Botching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/botching. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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