as in fumbling
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
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Recent Examples of mangling
Where was Michael Hill, the commissioner’s office executive serving as Team USA’s general manager, while his manager was mangling the stakes of the situation?
—
Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
Bruce, my sincere apology for 40 years of mangling your songs in the car.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 11 Dec. 2025
When Jets safety Malachi Moore went to tackle Hill, the wideout’s leg got caught underneath him, mangling the appendage in the process.
—Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
Bruce, my sincere apology for 40 years of mangling your songs in the car.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 11 Dec. 2025
When Jets safety Malachi Moore went to tackle Hill, the wideout’s leg got caught underneath him, mangling the appendage in the process.
—Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mangling
Verb
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With the title in their grasp, the Ducks have greased up their fingers, fumbling into a four-game winless slump.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
4 Apr. 2026
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Last season’s Detroit Tigers endured the worst divisional collapse in history, fumbling an AL Central lead that reached 15 1/2 games in July.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Videos captured the scene, which included people blowing whistles and horns, and neighbors screaming at more than a dozen gun-toting agents to leave Thao's family alone.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
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Videos captured the scene, which included people blowing whistles and horns, and neighbors screaming at more than a dozen gun-toting agents to leave Thao’s family alone.—
Mark Vancleave,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This gave rise to some constituents dubbing her Lori Tehran, which is the capitol of Iran, something which Grossi was quick to pick up and run with.—
Peter Lucas,
Boston Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
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Netflix also supports subtitles and dubbing in more than 30 languages.—
Cerys Davies,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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While pig butchering operations are veering toward the sophisticated and professional, horrendous abuses persist.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
7 Apr. 2026
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By butchering the fish in the restaurant, Hanke reduces the amount of time in which the quality of the fish could deteriorate.—
Lucia Cheng,
Des Moines Register,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Orange County jury that found Demorris Hunter guilty of murdering his girlfriend in 2002 unanimously recommended to send him to death row Tuesday after just over two hours of deliberations.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 Apr. 2026
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In May 2004, she was convicted of the 1995 murder of Glenn, and in 2007, she was convicted of murdering Randy.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Monday’s game offered yet another example of how the team that supposedly is ruining baseball is fattening the wallets of the league’s other 29 teams.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
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Your couch has a fabric cleaning code — usually printed on a tag tucked under the cushions — and ignoring it can mean ruining the upholstery.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mangling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mangling. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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