as in to fumble
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
you've mangled this so badly that we'll have to do it over
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 mangle
The girl’s features rearrange and for a split second her whole face looks mangled.
—
Literary Hub, 10 Dec. 2025
When laundering mittens or gloves in the washing machine, use a protective mesh bag to keep these small items from getting lost or mangled in the wash.
—Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Dec. 2025
The attack had left one of his legs mangled and necrotic, with the bone badly exposed.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Before the fundraising event, Chance tried his best to mangle duck and Lamb Chop chew toys, and peed on some bricks in front of Vonn’s home.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mangle
Literary Hub, 10 Dec. 2025
When laundering mittens or gloves in the washing machine, use a protective mesh bag to keep these small items from getting lost or mangled in the wash.
—Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Dec. 2025
The attack had left one of his legs mangled and necrotic, with the bone badly exposed.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Before the fundraising event, Chance tried his best to mangle duck and Lamb Chop chew toys, and peed on some bricks in front of Vonn’s home.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mangle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mangle
Verb
-
If the creditor fumbles the process, then an otherwise valid and collectible debt may be barred.—
Virginia Hammerle,
Dallas Morning News,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Since the first release in December, critics have accused the administration of fumbling the rollout and withholding too many documents.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Big East acknowledged after the game the officials blew the calls.—
Senior Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Back on the ground in Atlanta, transformers start to blow, a helicopter falls out of the sky, and the electrical grid is completely down.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Also dubbed as the balloon jean, barrel hems are intentionally curved–roomy through the leg with a subtler taper and cinch at the ankle.—
Amanda Le,
InStyle,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The Canadian engineer dubbed his creation BlackFly and spent years working on it in secret.—
The Los Angeles Times,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
People suffer and the country becomes ruined.—
Marc Weingarten,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Anti-Chafe Stick With sweaty bodies and lots of walking often comes chafing, something that can ruin a day in a theme park faster than a thunderstorm.—
Terri Peters,
Parents,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Or rather, none of it happens without the Rockies botching the Arenado thing so badly that CEO Dick Monfort and the family felt obligated to take this massive swing to try and replace him.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
21 Feb. 2026
-
The Yankees trailed the Blue Jays 2-1 in the seventh inning, when what should have been an inning-ending double-play groundball was hit to Chisholm, who botched it.—
Chris Kirschner,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
And so the buffalo were butchered and sold for their tongues and hides, and their bones were ground and used for fine china.—
Christine Peterson,
Outdoor Life,
5 Mar. 2026
-
For nearly half a century, Iran has been a thorn in the side of the United States, killing and maiming American soldiers, butchering Israeli citizens, threatening its neighbors and fostering terror around the globe.—
Chris Roemer,
Baltimore Sun,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Walsh was joined by Sean Davis, Saagar Enjeti, and other conservative commentators who spent the day accusing the administration of bungling its messaging on the conflict.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Compare that to how Bondi prostituted the Justice Department to a vengeful president and bungled the entire Epstein matter.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The port has already planted acres of mangroves and sea grass and donated the land to the state of Florida to offset the habitat that would be destroyed during dredging.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The reasons for this cautious response are many, ranging from the precarious diplomatic implications of the conflict, disruptions to its energy security, and the embarrassing implications of allowing an ally to be destroyed.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mangle. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
