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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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 bungle
Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2025
Thao was accused of bungling the city’s finances, contributing to a budget shortfall that will almost certainly require sweeping cuts across government departments.
—Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2025
Has Trump bungled the economy? President Donald Trump’s approval ratings on the economy and inflation have fallen after weeks of tariff policy twists and turmoil in the stock market, according to a new poll.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
These are times the team put themselves in a position to pick up one point — and sometimes two — and bungled it.
—Peter Baugh, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bungle
Verb
With new signings badly needed, the January transfer window instead saw the promising defender Juma Bah lost to Manchester City for €6m after the teenager’s contract situation was bungled.
—Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2025
Thao was accused of bungling the city’s finances, contributing to a budget shortfall that will almost certainly require sweeping cuts across government departments.
—Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2025
Has Trump bungled the economy? President Donald Trump’s approval ratings on the economy and inflation have fallen after weeks of tariff policy twists and turmoil in the stock market, according to a new poll.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
These are times the team put themselves in a position to pick up one point — and sometimes two — and bungled it.
—Peter Baugh, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bungle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bungle
Noun
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Those communication botches, whether on the break or in the half court, often include Towns, who once again vanished as a scorer.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
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Of the other methods – including electrocution, lethal gas and hanging – lethal injection had the highest botch rate of more than 7%. ‘An embrace of brutality’ Still, states have remained averse to the firing squad, a position that experts who spoke to CNN believe stems from its overt violence.—
Dakin Andone,
CNN Money,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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These transitions, between past and present, are sometimes clumsy but sometimes genuinely sweet, as with an old letter that near-simultaneously is dictated and written, received and read, and finally rediscovered (and only partially understood) in the 21st century.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
27 May 2025
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Wildlife officials helped remove a black bear found hanging out in the kitchen of a Kentucky home after an impressive, yet clumsy break-in, photos show.—
Mitchell Willetts,
Kansas City Star,
25 May 2025
Noun
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Jack Schellenberg and Mateo Rivera each recovered a fumble, Noah Prince had a strip-sack fumble recovery and Lemuel Bass had an interception.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 May 2025
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As a junior, the 6-2, 265-pound edge rusher tore apart opposing offenses, setting an NCAA record with 24 sacks to go along with 31.5 TFLs and six forced fumbles, sparking ASU to its first winning season in six years.—
Bruce Feldman,
New York Times,
20 May 2025
Adjective
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Eddie's real parentage is revealed, Maeve is outed, Kevin catches up with Rusby, Bella brokers her deal, and Alice attends an awkward Harrigan dinner.—
Matt Cabral,
EW.com,
26 May 2025
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There is also an awkward disconnect: Gmail’s recent encryption upgrade clashes with its AI upgrades.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
Noun
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Miguel Vargas made a slight bobble, leading to no chance for a play at the plate, and then decided to throw to first.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
25 May 2025
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Reliever Nuri Gutman pitched well to strike out the side in the fourth inning, but Romero turned a double in the left-center gap into another run off a bobble by the defense.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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That was a reference to the botched Tonight Show transition at NBC where O’Brien, then the popular host of NBC’s Late Night, was promised The Tonight Show to stay at NBC.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
3 Mar. 2025
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Accidental reveal One Russian military blogger inadvertently revealed the extent of the Ukrainian advance during a botched effort to downplay the advance on Monday.—
David Axe,
Forbes,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Popular movements in South Africa, Ukraine, and the Philippines demonstrate a pattern: sustained pressure—cross-class protests, labor strikes, investigative reporting—can chip away at self-enriching, inept regimes.—
Evan Osnos,
New Yorker,
26 May 2025
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When his son Trey (Aubrey Joseph) and godson Kyle (Elijah Wright in a film debut) and son of his best friend and driver Paul (Jeffrey Wright) are mistaken for each other by the inept kidnapper, that criminal demands David pay the $17.5 million ransom anyway or Kyle dies.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
19 May 2025
Adjective
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The case stalled for years, in part due to concerns that Saleh was mentally incompetent to stand trial, court records show.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
24 May 2025
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The man accused of stalking Jennifer Aniston and crashing his car through her front gate was ruled incompetent for trial on Thursday but demanded a second opinion.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bungle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bungle. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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