Synonym Chooser

How does the verb mangle contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of mangle are batter, cripple, maim, and mutilate. While all these words mean "to injure so severely as to cause lasting damage," mangle implies a tearing or crushing that leaves deep wounds.

a soldier's leg mangled by shrapnel

When would batter be a good substitute for mangle?

Although the words batter and mangle have much in common, batter implies a series of blows that bruise deeply, deform, or mutilate.

an old ship battered by fierce storms

When could cripple be used to replace mangle?

While in some cases nearly identical to mangle, cripple implies the loss or serious impairment of an arm or leg.

crippled for life in an accident

When is maim a more appropriate choice than mangle?

The meanings of maim and mangle largely overlap; however, maim implies the loss or injury of a bodily member through violence.

maimed by a shark

Where would mutilate be a reasonable alternative to mangle?

The synonyms mutilate and mangle are sometimes interchangeable, but mutilate implies the cutting off or removal of an essential part of a person or thing thereby impairing its completeness, beauty, or function.

a tree mutilated by inept pruning

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 mangle His past and present were mangled and fabricated online. Jim Warren, Chicago Tribune, 20 May 2025 The blast left a car behind the clinic mangled and killed a person tentatively identified as Bartkus. Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2025 In our very own century, a president of the United States has mangled the meaning of witch hunt beyond anything but self-pitying victimhood. Greg Evans, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2025 McCarthy gives a great performance, playing up the press secretary’s more boorish traits as a gum-guzzling loudmouth that mangles words and twists facts like pretzels. Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 11 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mangle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mangle
Verb
  • While that might seem to be a bit too optimistic for a franchise that has historically fumbled from a depth perspective, the team can’t rebuild an entire defensive depth chart in one year.
    Mike Kaye July 14, Charlotte Observer, 14 July 2025
  • Despite being ripe for a GOP takeover, the local committee fumbled its chance to usher another Republican into office, instead focusing on its inner feuds.
    Jolene Almendarez, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Verb
  • In other words, keep up or watch your competition blow past you.
    Shep Hyken, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2025
  • Bednar allowed a solo homer, a double, and a pair of singles to blow the lead for the Yankees.
    Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The bill, dubbed the most substantial housing package since the 1990s, unanimously passed the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday.
    Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Aug. 2025
  • Their offspring spread further west, and in 2011 a wolf dubbed OR7 by biologists made its way from Oregon to California, achieving minor celebrity as residents watched his progress on online cameras and cheered the breed’s success.
    Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 1 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 1 Aug. 2025
  • Meanwhile in Trier, Germany’s oldest city, Roman ruins, such as the Porta Nigra and imperial baths, blend seamlessly with baroque palaces and centuries-old scholarly libraries.
    Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
Verb
  • But the officer botched the turn and instead hit the garage’s sidewall.
    Nick Sibilla, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
  • Critics, including some prominent Republicans and Democrats, have accused the Justice Department of botching a review of files on the disgraced financier.
    Sudiksha Kochi, USA Today, 27 July 2025
Verb
  • Renowned American actor Kurt Russell spent part of his Fourth of July visiting the Arlington house where his eighth great-grandfather was butchered to death by British soldiers in a bloody battle that kicked off the Revolutionary War in 1775.
    Gayla Cawley, Hartford Courant, 5 July 2025
  • Neanderthals made and used wooden spears, cared for their fellow community members, made sticky tar and other adhesives, and butchered massive elephants, among other feats.
    Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 June 2025
Verb
  • There were many reasons the agency bungled the law's implementation.
    Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 20 July 2025
  • Lately, all Nam-hyeok’s busts are bungled and the not-so-dynamic duo must deal with double crosses and blown covers.
    Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 20 July 2025
Verb
  • In return, he was allowed to effectively destroy a nature site of great conservation value.
    Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 26 July 2025
  • Trump also is destroying the Games’ potential upside.
    Joe Mathews, Mercury News, 25 July 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Mangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mangle. Accessed 8 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on mangle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!