as in to fumble
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
bungled the job the first time she tried to do it
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Recent Examples of bungle
K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 13 Mar. 2026
The accusation is that the administration bungled by not believing that Iran would follow through on its threats.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bungle
Verb
And Kash Patel's FBI seems to be bungling the investigation at every step.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 13 Mar. 2026
The accusation is that the administration bungled by not believing that Iran would follow through on its threats.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
Noun
In addition to Robinhood’s Platinum card, there is Citi’s $695-per-year Strata Elite, whose debut last year was marred by an application-process bungle that saw the bank freeze thousands of accounts—but which has proved popular nonetheless.
—Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bungle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bungle
Verb
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In the 88th minute, Neuer fumbled a routine shot and allowed Joselu to equalise.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
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Fans were exiting en masse in the top of the ninth when Frelick’s RBI single off Rule 5 rookie Ryan Watson, fumbled by reigning AL Gold Glove centerfielder Ceddanne Rafaela, increased Milwaukee’s lead to three.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Of course this was a calculated power play, not a bureaucratic botch.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
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During last week's WWE SmackDown, a series of mistakes and botches drew harsh criticism from fans.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Duke would make the 2025 Final Four before blowing a lead and getting upset by Houston in the national semifinal.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
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Kawhi Leonard scored 34 points, hitting six 3-pointers, and the Los Angeles Clippers recovered after blowing a 23-point lead to beat rookie Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks 116-103 on Tuesday night.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Ordinary humans like Stephen’s selfish boss are depicted as giant walking eggs, while others are proportioned like bobble heads.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
11 Apr. 2026
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The Kings, who had a 5-3 advantage in shots in the first, got the first excellent chance of the game when dangerous goal scorer Adrian Kempe took advantage of a bobble at the LA blue line.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Practical reality could nearly ruin your plans while the intuitive Moon in your 6th House of Effort squares Venus in your 9th House of Exploration.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Apr. 2026
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Everything was synced up for him Saturday, and even Nimmo couldn’t ruin that breakthrough.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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At home in Korea, the film has been dubbed Na’s most ambitious project to date.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Apr. 2026
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In 2015-16, a super El Niño was predicted — which some forecasters dubbed a Godzilla El Niño — but California’s yearly rainfall totals ended up being about average, said state climatologist Michael Anderson.—
Alex Wigglesworth,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bungle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bungle. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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