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
The market sits next to local butcher shop Choice Cuts Fresh Smoked Meats, A Way With Clay, The Crafty Cottage Collective and Great Harvest Bread Company. — Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 25 July 2026 The restaurant also features two bars, a butcher room, and a large area for handling of to-go and catering orders. — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 22 July 2026
Verb
The theory is that individuals became infected by a strain that was particularly lethal to the young through close contact with marmots (rodents that are known reservoirs of the plague), perhaps while butchering them. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 6 July 2026 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 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
  • Although scarce documentation has left a wide range of estimates, as many as 2 million people are said to have been slaughtered in communal massacres during this exodus.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026
  • Local residents take up arms to slaughter homeless people in the street.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 25 July 2026
Definition of slaughter
Verb
  • In Madison’s Capitol Times, Paul Fanlud detected some worry from Wikler that Democrats might fumble their project of governing Wisconsin long enough to reform it.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 22 July 2026
  • On Sunday, the Guardians essentially created a compilation video for Little League coaches to show their kids, a crash course in fumbling the fundamentals.
    — Zack Meisel, New York Times, 21 July 2026
Definition of fumble
Verb
  • Mayo, who raced around the court blowing kisses to the WSU fans after Mason’s game-ending 3, finished with 25 points off 3-of-9 3-point shooting.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 28 July 2026
  • The Green Bay Packers endured a highly disappointing 2025 season, finishing 9-8-1 and blowing multiple double-digit leads, including a 21-3 Wild Card advantage against Chicago.
    — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of blow
Verb
  • The former husband of Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother accused of murdering her three young children, took the stand Monday as the prosecution’s first witness in her triple-murder trial.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 27 July 2026
  • Bryan Kohberger declared his intention to withdraw his guilty plea on Monday, one year after he was convicted and sentenced for murdering four Idaho college students.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 27 July 2026
Definition of murder
Verb
  • The hymn was dubbed by the NAACP as the Black national anthem in the early 1900s.
    — PJ Green July 30, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2026
  • Another side-channel attack, dubbed Downfall and revealed in 2023, affected certain Intel processors.
    — Chetan Jaiswal, The Conversation, 30 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
  • Being asked to prove yourself to AI can play havoc on your confidence and ruin your chances of getting your foot in the door.
    — Colleen Batchelder, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • Not that Miss Manners is excusing those who burst into dinner parties after the roast has been ruined — along with the other guests’ attitudes, most likely — and then blame it on traffic.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 28 July 2026
Definition of ruin

Browse Nearby Words

butch
butcher
butchered
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Cite this Entry

“Butcher.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/butcher. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

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