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
Relevance
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bungling
Justin Chang, New Yorker, 6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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
-
The rubber sole is also important for clumsy gals like myself.—
Alyssa Grabinski,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Camels seem slow, hippos clumsy, phoenixes unstable, lions lazy.—
Francois Botha,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Boise State played an uneven first half in Tampa, fumbling twice and committing a huge penalty that gave life to a South Florida touchdown drive.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Facial recognition can help reduce wait times, eliminate the hassle of fumbling with documents and free up staff to focus on higher-value service.—
Jeff Kim,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
While there is little doubt about the outcome of the Fed meeting, there are still questions over who exactly will be voting—setting up some very awkward dynamics.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
14 Sep. 2025
-
This leaves the broader discourse around Kirk’s assassination in an awkward position, deprived of the certainty that so many crave.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
As health restrictions discouraged people from blowing directly into instruments, Gajewski and Brown reimagined the design.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Soldiers have also been spotted in parks carrying out tasks typically assigned to gardeners and landscapers – shoveling mulch, blowing leaves and scooping up trash.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
According to the Post, investigators said the shooting erupted after a botched marijuana robbery.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
4 Sep. 2025
-
In May 2024, a botched fuel transfer resulted in over 300 gallons of oil spilling into Silver Bay Marina on Lake Superior, prompting a multi-day cleanup effort.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Like Einbinder, she's been nominated for all four seasons of Abbott Elementary for her role as inept school principal Ava Coleman.—
Julia Moore,
PEOPLE,
15 Sep. 2025
-
That should be the story of the game, if not for how inept the other side of the ball was.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The man was charged with multiple felony charges but found incompetent to stand trial.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Esmeralda is incompetent, egotistic, and, thanks to Impacciatore’s ace comedic timing, totally fabulous.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Clearly frustrated, Palencia gave up five runs and recorded zero outs during the ninth inning of that 6-3 loss to the Washington Nationals, a last-place team with a largely inexperienced and nondescript lineup.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Having won five straight Ryder Cups and 12 of the last 13, the American team entered as the heavy favorite despite fielding a relatively inexperienced squad.—
Tim Corlett,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bungling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bungling. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share