botch 1 of 2

verb

Definition of botchnext
as in to fumble
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way the first time we tried to make a cake, we botched the job completely

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

botch

2 of 2

noun

as in jumble
an unorganized collection or mixture of various things this police procedural is basically a botch of plot elements stolen from other (and better) novels

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 botch
Verb
Nebraska botched multiple plays in the kicking game and rushed for just 54 yards. — Mitch Sherman, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026 Coach Rhett Lashlee was already annoyed with special teams coming into the game, and that was before the Mustangs botched two PAT attempts. — ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Noun
During last week's WWE SmackDown, a series of mistakes and botches drew harsh criticism from fans. — Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025 This might seem like a minor quibble, but the fact that the new movie botches the whole wait-what-did-they-actually-do-last-summer thing speaks to a prevailing sense of laziness. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for botch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for botch
  1. fumble
  2. jumble
  3. blow
  4. variety
  5. bungle
  6. assortment
  7. ruin
  8. medley
Verb
  • On the first play of Rutgers' next drive, Surace was sacked at the Rutgers 8 and fumbled with Northwestern’s Jamaal Johnson recovering.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The Chiefs actually missed a 43-yard field goal that would have won the game in regulation — after Justin Houston forced Lamar Jackson to fumble — but won the game with a short kick in overtime.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of fumble
Noun
  • Arches and natural bridges sweep like buttresses from jumbles of rock, giving this landscape a mystical, cathedral-like quality.
    — Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Macaroons are chewy jumbles of coconut bound together with egg whites and sweetened condensed milk.
    — Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of jumble
Verb
  • These higher-than-usual high tides are supercharged by winds blowing onshore, pushing more seawater on land.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026
  • While Healey is expected to let a reduction in his fiscal buffer do most of the work on the basis that the Iran war has blown a hole in his accounts, tax increases are still likely.
    — Ian King, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of blow
Noun
  • Locals claimed that drinking it was helpful for a variety of respiratory and digestive problems.
    — D. T. Max, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
  • That includes cards such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees), which comes with a variety of excellent travel insurance benefits and the American Express® Gold Card, which is a rewarding option for dining and grocery purchases.
    — Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of variety
Verb
  • The administration was bungling the withdrawal and struggled to evacuate American citizens and Afghan allies amid the chaos.
    — Azadeh Moaveni, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026
  • On September 30th, the state of Tennessee bungled its attempt to kill Christa Pike, who survived two injections of pentobarbital.
    — Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of bungle
Noun
  • Developed with creative chairman Reed Krakoff and design teams in New York and Bali, the assortment splices the siblings’ contrasting aesthetics with John Hardy’s longstanding tradition of handcraft.
    — Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Now, a deeper look suggests a much broader assortment of material from the outside world — silica, metals, soot and other debris — is getting through.
    — Ariana Eunjung Cha, Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of assortment
Verb
  • Burdick seemed to have drawn directly from McCarthy’s experience, the hopelessness of fighting with his father over a world his father had already ruined, the surrender to indulgence and mindless violence because…why not?
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Each room is also outfitted with a Yale smart lock, which means there’s no room for that horrible feeling of losing a room key to ruin your vacation.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of ruin
Noun
  • Waiters walked around the room serving bowls of pasta with a medley of sauces.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
  • After an opening medley that spans New Orleans jazz and bounce, the record’s signposts grow increasingly fuzzy.
    — Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of medley

Browse Nearby Words

botanicals
botch
botched
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Cite this Entry

“Botch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/botch. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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