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
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
The look was a polarizing one, to which Alcaraz blamed one of his brothers for botching the assignment.
—Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
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
The look was a polarizing one, to which Alcaraz blamed one of his brothers for botching the assignment.
—Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for botching
Verb
-
Gibson rushed for 1,000 yards in his second season, then suffered from fumbling issues over his final years with the Commanders.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
23 Feb. 2026
-
But Illinois is at risk of fumbling this opportunity.—
Susana A. Mendoza,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Most hotel treatments are nice but not mind blowing—these were.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Coney Island live cam See blowing snow along the boardwalk and shoreline at Coney Island.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Doomscrolling was ruining my life.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Wednesday was a repeat, with flies and rodent poop ruining the callback inspection.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Botching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/botching. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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