as in to fumble
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
bungled the job the first time she tried to do it
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bungle
Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2025
Has Trump bungled the economy? President Donald Trump’s approval ratings on the economy and inflation have fallen after weeks of tariff policy twists and turmoil in the stock market, according to a new poll.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
These are times the team put themselves in a position to pick up one point — and sometimes two — and bungled it.
—Peter Baugh, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
Rogen is well cast as flustered Matt Remick, a bungling new CEO for the ailing Continental Studios.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bungle
Verb
Thao was accused of bungling the city’s finances, contributing to a budget shortfall that will almost certainly require sweeping cuts across government departments.
—Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2025
Has Trump bungled the economy? President Donald Trump’s approval ratings on the economy and inflation have fallen after weeks of tariff policy twists and turmoil in the stock market, according to a new poll.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
These are times the team put themselves in a position to pick up one point — and sometimes two — and bungled it.
—Peter Baugh, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
Rogen is well cast as flustered Matt Remick, a bungling new CEO for the ailing Continental Studios.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bungle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bungle
Verb
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Massey ranged to his left, lost his footing and fumbled the ball.—
Evan Webeck,
Mercury News,
20 May 2025
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Gutierrez found the jury was confused by antitrust law elements and fumbled a calculation for damages by mistaking an overcharge with a discount.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
13 May 2025
Noun
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Those communication botches, whether on the break or in the half court, often include Towns, who once again vanished as a scorer.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
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Of the other methods – including electrocution, lethal gas and hanging – lethal injection had the highest botch rate of more than 7%. ‘An embrace of brutality’ Still, states have remained averse to the firing squad, a position that experts who spoke to CNN believe stems from its overt violence.—
Dakin Andone,
CNN Money,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
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That’s just the beginning, though—keep scrolling for more deals sure to blow you away (no pun intended).—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
23 May 2025
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Julia snuck some matchstick carrots into the potato mixture, then blew my socks off with a punchy, springy topping of feta, mint, dill, and chives.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
23 May 2025
Noun
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Miguel Vargas made a slight bobble, leading to no chance for a play at the plate, and then decided to throw to first.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
25 May 2025
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Reliever Nuri Gutman pitched well to strike out the side in the fourth inning, but Romero turned a double in the left-center gap into another run off a bobble by the defense.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
24 May 2025
Verb
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However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Miami Herald,
22 May 2025
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But that stumble constitutes Hwang’s only confrontation with the hypocrisy that ruins Yellow Face and its inherent PBS conceit.—
Armond White,
National Review,
21 May 2025
Verb
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For decades, the set of remains were dubbed Scattered Man John Doe until New Jersey State Police teamed up with the Ramapo College of New Jersey’s Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center to identified the person.—
David Matthews,
New York Daily News,
22 May 2025
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The temperatures for late May, even this far north, have plummeted, making the inhospitable terrain of northern Finland even tougher for the Finnish, Swedish and British soldiers halfway through joint live-fire exercises, dubbed Northern Strike 125, in Europe's largest training ground, Rovajärvi.—
Ellie Cook — reporting from Rovajärvi, northern Finland,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bungle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bungle. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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