mangle

verb

ˈmaŋ-gəl How to pronounce mangle (audio)
Definition of manglenext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Complex documents with tables, charts and mixed content need each content type scored separately, since a model can nail text while mangling a table. — Sriram Bhargav Madhav, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 Old tree roots have mangled sidewalks and created obstacles for pedestrians, especially parents with strollers and people using wheelchairs. — Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 13 July 2026 Photos released by the agency show the pickup truck mangled and nearly unrecognizable after the violent plunge, with debris scattered across the rocky mountainside. — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 13 July 2026 Grief mangles cognition and memory in ways that can make even banal tasks feel surreal, if not impossible. — Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 22 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for mangle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mangle
  1. fumble
  2. blow
  3. dub
  4. ruin
  5. botch
  6. butcher
  7. bungle
  8. boot
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
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
Verb
  • Poison Ivy, created by Carmine Infantino and Robert Kanigher, was dubbed by DC Comics as Batman’s Floral Femme Fatale.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Even British Vogue has highlighted its revival, dubbing it the ’00s messy-prep revival piece.
    — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of dub
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
Verb
  • Continue reading … NOT ENOUGH — Kash Patel demands apology from MS NOW following botched Russia report.
    — , FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Alou reacted demonstrably, and the Marlins went on to score eight runs in the inning, sending 12 batters to the plate, as Cubs shortstop Alex Gonzalez botched a routine double-play ball.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of botch
Verb
  • Thornburg butchered three of the people over seven days in September 2021 at the Mid City Inn in Euless.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026
  • During that collection and delivery, one or two animals are donated for harvest, or butchering, to Native American communities.
    — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of butcher
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
Verb
  • Former Citadel punter James Platte was booting the ball on the Giants’ field after practice on Thursday to punt returners Charlie Jones and Dalen Cambre.
    — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Back at the hotel, Vision boots up his head-laser when Paladin’s drone approaches.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of boot

Browse Nearby Words

manfully
mangle
mangled
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Cite this Entry

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

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