as in fumbles
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 bungles
Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2025
Noun
Gentleman thief Sir Charles Lytton (David Niven) circles the prize while Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Peter Sellers) bungles the pursuit with sublime obliviousness.
—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bungles
Verb
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The premise has the potential for slapstick silliness, as an incompetent Seoul family fumbles its way through opening a hunting lodge in the Korean countryside.—
Katie Rife,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Oct. 2025
-
As Lester fumbles for his bird whistle in the fountain to activate the camera, he gets thrown back in this tussle with Tillman and is killed.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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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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Coastal communities in southwest Jamaica took the most punishing blows from the storm, with catastrophic flooding and wind damage.—
Terry Ward,
AFAR Media,
30 Oct. 2025
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In the update, Cumberbatch and Colman play a seemingly perfect husband and wife with the perfect family, but underneath the façade is a powder keg of resentment and fierce competition that eventually blows.—
Patrick Hipes,
Deadline,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bungles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bungles. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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