butcher 1 of 2

noun

ˈbu̇-chər How to pronounce butcher (audio)
Definition of butchernext
as in blunderer
someone who bungles an effort the newest intern on the campaign is a butcher when it comes to writing press releases

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

butcher

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to slaughter
to kill on a large scale the barbarians butchered the monks in the monasteries without mercy

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to fumble
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way the new piano student butchered the sonatina

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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 butcher
Noun
That’s when Champion made thick cotton tops with hoods to help keep butchers warm in meat lockers and construction crews insulated during periods of cold outdoor labor. — Faran Krentcil, InStyle, 1 July 2026 In their quest for the best produce, the trio searched around each location for the best butchers and bakeries to acquire fresh meat and bread each day. — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 29 June 2026
Verb
The plague victims likely hunted, skinned and butchered marmots for their meat and fur, which would have exposed members of the community to the bacteria, Macleod said. — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 17 June 2026 Normally, that involves making stone tools, butchering deer, or distilling birch tar. — ArsTechnica, 2 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for butcher
Recent Examples of Synonyms for butcher
  1. incompetent
  2. slaughter
  3. fumble
  4. blow
  5. murder
  6. dub
  7. mangle
  8. ruin
Noun
  • The Dodgers reached the pinnacle honestly, in a capitalistic structure that properly hands no favors to the incompetent.
    — Bruce Jenkins, San Francisco Chronicle, 18 Jan. 2026
Definition of incompetent
Verb
  • Deputies unlawfully confiscated Cedar, who was then slaughtered before his family ever had the chance to challenge the seizure in court.
    — Vanessa Shakib, Oc Register, 23 July 2026
  • Up to 182,000 Kurds were slaughtered by Hussein’s forces, including 5,000 in one day in the infamous chemical attack on Halabja on March 16, 1988.
    — Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of slaughter
Verb
  • Basabe, 48, fumbled his way through the trial, often seeming confused about the legal proceedings.
    — Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026
  • The Sky rank 13th in the league with a 7-16 record after fumbling a fourth-quarter lead Sunday in a loss to the Dallas Wings.
    — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026
Definition of fumble
Verb
  • The night quickly blew open from there, a 10-7 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies that was uglier than the final score and further sank Sheehan’s season.
    — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 21 July 2026
  • As the final seconds ticked down on Spain’s 1-0 extra-time win over a valiant Argentina and the referee blew his whistle, one could be forgiven for their mind once again slipping to memories of La Roja’s maiden World Cup victory.
    — Patrick Sung Cuadrado, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
Definition of blow
Verb
  • The Barzani Genocide of 1983 saw around 8,000 men and boys from that tribe abducted and murdered.
    — Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • There’s also Mary Hazelton, a woman who was murdered and found stuffed in trunk inside her apartment in 1909.
    — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 20 July 2026
Definition of murder
Verb
  • The latter two heat waves have been caused by a thick ridge of high pressure — dubbed a heat dome by the weather service — that has wielded influence for weeks.
    — Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 24 July 2026
  • Season four will follow that trend and has been dubbed Queen of the Damned.
    — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 24 July 2026
Definition of dub
Verb
  • Old tree roots have mangled sidewalks and created obstacles for pedestrians, especially parents with strollers and people using wheelchairs.
    — Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 13 July 2026
  • Photos released by the agency show the pickup truck mangled and nearly unrecognizable after the violent plunge, with debris scattered across the rocky mountainside.
    — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 13 July 2026
Definition of mangle
Verb
  • Floyd is no longer attracted to his wife, has trouble connecting with his teen-age stepson, and owes tens of thousands in taxes—a set of stressors that are ruining his health.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 July 2026
  • That would ruin a good thing, apparently, and Foerster credited Puni for not only playing through a knee injury last fall but overcoming early-career growing pains.
    — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 20 July 2026
Definition of ruin

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Cite this Entry

“Butcher.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/butcher. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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