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
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
Verb
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
-
The clumsy, confusing rollout of the fees certainly didn’t help — as many residents who were promised a locals discount couldn’t figure out how to tap that benefit.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Each additional finger adds mass, increasing the chances that fingers will collide, and making overall movement more clumsy.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Yet, as any visitor stalled in traffic or fumbling for cash to top up a transit card discovers, the old Seoul persists beneath the new.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
-
What to know about the Patriots-Texans game Despite three turnovers and Drake Maye fumbling four times, the Patriots held on to beat the Houston Texans, 28-16.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Scenes around the dinner table are awkward to say the least, but Meg has a big supporter in bestie Penny (Sophia Torres) and a burning desire to bring this show to life against all odds.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
26 Jan. 2026
-
All four athletes stood together, smiling for photos through an undeniably awkward situation.—
Natasha O'Neill,
Vanity Fair,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, California continued blowing money on a high-speed rail project that is years behind schedule and billions over budget, was bilked for billions in fraud, and funded an anti-homelessness bureaucracy with no accountability, among other things.—
Matt Fleming,
Oc Register,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The idea is not only to speed up the time for AI systems to respond, but also to enable larger context windows, add quality checks on answers and keep AI features turned on for more users without blowing past budgets.—
Ron Schmelzer,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Two members of the Israeli team were killed at the time of the attack, and nine athletes and a West German policeman would die in a botched rescue attempt at an airport.—
Mike Barnes,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The Dolphins had several special teams breakdowns last season, including a Patriots kickoff return for a touchdown in Week 2, a costly roughing penalty against Zach Sieler in a Week 3 game at Buffalo and a botched handling of an on-side kick by New Orleans in November.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Gail Daughtry is filled with the type of humor that is unique to a Wain production, from absurdist visual gags and plot points to joke-heavy dialogue and socially inept characters.—
Mia Galuppo,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Jan. 2026
-
The inept play at quarterback defines Saleh’s time with the Jets.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
In that case, he was found incompetent to stand trial and the case was referred to Hamilton County Probate Court.—
Quinlan Bentley,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
6 Jan. 2026
-
In Indiana, there are five death row inmates, with one of the inmates being deemed incompetent to stand trial.—
Alexandra Kukulka,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Older, more experienced players — like Indiana’s fleet of 24-year olds — are usually better than younger, inexperienced ones, especially in this age of the transfer portal.—
Ryan Kartje,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Tech Hamiltonians and Silicon Valley enthusiasts are often inexperienced in the ways of government and unaccustomed to the compromise and diplomacy that successful policy implementation often requires.—
Walter Russell Mead,
The Atlantic,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bungling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bungling. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
