as in clumsy
showing or marked by a lack of skill and tact (as in dealing with a situation)
I refuse to let that bungling incompetent insult me again
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in fumbling
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
bungled the job the first time she tried to do it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bungling
Ben Smith, semafor.com, 31 Jan. 2026
Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026
Walsh was joined by Sean Davis, Saagar Enjeti, and other conservative commentators who spent the day accusing the administration of bungling its messaging on the conflict.
—David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 3 Mar. 2026
Hollywood stars would do well to worry less about bungling the teleprompter and more about being true to their heart.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 5 Feb. 2026
The pair wasn’t done with its bungling yet.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 5 Feb. 2026
At that point, the day had been characterized by sloppiness and frustration, with Bears pass catchers failing to secure at least a half-dozen catchable throws from their quarterback and, on three occasions, bungling fourth-down opportunities.
—Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
When Souleymane rehearses his account, in an early scene, Barry admonishes him for blandly reciting (and often bungling) the false facts he’s been given.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
His friendship with Epstein was never a secret — though his bungling aides’ accidental reopening of it is one of history’s greatest political errors.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 31 Jan. 2026
Verb
Cricket was shot for yapping uncontrollably, bungling the mission, and killing innocent bystanders.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026
Walsh was joined by Sean Davis, Saagar Enjeti, and other conservative commentators who spent the day accusing the administration of bungling its messaging on the conflict.
—David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 3 Mar. 2026
Hollywood stars would do well to worry less about bungling the teleprompter and more about being true to their heart.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 5 Feb. 2026
The pair wasn’t done with its bungling yet.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 5 Feb. 2026
At that point, the day had been characterized by sloppiness and frustration, with Bears pass catchers failing to secure at least a half-dozen catchable throws from their quarterback and, on three occasions, bungling fourth-down opportunities.
—Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
When Souleymane rehearses his account, in an early scene, Barry admonishes him for blandly reciting (and often bungling) the false facts he’s been given.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bungling
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
Since the first release in December, critics have accused the administration of fumbling the rollout and withholding too many documents.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Since the first release in December, critics have accused the administration of fumbling the rollout and withholding too many documents.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Our awkward hero copes with grief through humor while navigating relationships with her type-A sister (Sian Clifford), her nasty stepmother (Olivia Colman), and, in season 2, a hot priest (Andrew Scott).—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Mar. 2026
-
This profound snow drought comes at an especially awkward time, compounding a quarter-century of regional aridification that has drained the nation’s two largest reservoirs to precarious depths.—
Brandon Loomis,
AZCentral.com,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Wolves were determined to run him off the 3-point line in an effort to limit his effectiveness, but Bane countered by putting the ball on the floor and blowing by Minnesota’s perimeter defenders all game.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
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Ice crystals skittered across the plateau, catching in the curve of the sastrugi before blowing free.—
Cree LeFavour,
New Yorker,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
What begins as a domestic imbalance turns literal when Les accidentally shrinks Lindy to doll size during a botched experiment, forcing the pair to confront long-simmering tensions in entirely new ways.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
3 Mar. 2026
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Along with Alling, the three other men Havana said died in the botched invasion attempt were Michael Ortega Casanova, Ledián Padrón Guevara and Hector Duani Cruz Correa.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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But then his work began to feel insecure, especially as federal leaders characterized scientists as inept, corrupt, and partisan.—
Rachana Pradhan,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
-
The boy is too nervous or inept to do his part.—
Honor Jones,
The Atlantic,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
And then fraud, which, looking back, was inevitable given our shattered and incompetent leadership.—
Joe Soucheray,
Twin Cities,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The fourth priest died after being deemed incompetent to stand trial in 2022.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Pidgeon came in with a brunette bob, which, given the length of her natural hair, could be detected if left to inexperienced stylists.—
Kirbie Johnson,
Allure,
6 Mar. 2026
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The roster is young and inexperienced — Sands is the only returning starter from last season — and the Tommies dealt with the predictable growing pains.—
Dean Spiros,
Twin Cities,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bungling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bungling. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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