as in clumsy
showing or marked by a lack of skill and tact (as in dealing with a situation)
a botched attempt to mend relations with our disaffected European allies
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in fumbled
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of botched
Joe Mahr, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
An Independence man was sentenced Tuesday to eight years in the Missouri Department of Corrections, with credit for time served, for his role in a botched drug deal in 2022 that left another man dead.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2026
Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2026
After Malinin botched his final free in the singles competition, Cowan kept his distance as the skater crumbled into a grimace of abject disappointment.
—Colleen Barry, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for botched
Adjective
In Chicago, Sierra’s lawsuit was arguably even harder for a local government to defend than the botched Brooklyn homicide case.
—Joe Mahr, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
An Independence man was sentenced Tuesday to eight years in the Missouri Department of Corrections, with credit for time served, for his role in a botched drug deal in 2022 that left another man dead.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
And botched by the officials, said Oklahoma State coach Jacie Hoyt.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2026
After Malinin botched his final free in the singles competition, Cowan kept his distance as the skater crumbled into a grimace of abject disappointment.
—Colleen Barry, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for botched
Recent Examples of Synonyms for botched
Adjective
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But it’s played sincerely, so the visual contrast just makes the connection feel clumsy, if not outright absurd.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
23 Mar. 2026
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McGee meets one of a clumsy TURF intern Pete, who is revealed to be Olivia's 18-year-old son, Matteo (Patrick Keleher) under interrogation.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Storm had the Inter&Co Stadium crowd of 11,127 people on their feet early after Columbus fumbled the opening kickoff and safety Josh Minkins jumped on it to give the Storm their initial possession inside the 30-yard line.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2026
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As the years went by, judges complained that the city’s in-house lawyers had fumbled key casework.—
Joe Mahr,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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So Pakistan is already in an awkward position because the Saudis are being attacked.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Lock down the logistics first The fastest way to kill trip momentum is skipping the awkward conversations.—
Lauren Schuster,
Miami Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Apollo's acquisition came after Verizon Communications bought Yahoo's online operations in 2017 and then bungled an attempt to blend those services into AOL, another internet pioneer.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
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Apollo’s acquisition came after Verizon Communications bought Yahoo’s online operations in 2017 and then bungled an attempt to blend those services into AOL, another internet pioneer.—
Michael Liedtke,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But few, if any, think about what the pain of losing a championship in October will feel, something Blue Jays manager John Schneider had to endure last season when his team blew a 3-2 series lead to the Dodgers.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
30 Mar. 2026
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Last year, Duke blew a 14-point lead to lose to Houston in the Final Four with Flagg and Knueppel.—
Megan Armstrong,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The three runners whose chances of victory were ruined — Jess McClain, Emma Grace Hurley and Ednah Kurgat — are now invited to compete at the 2026 World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen in September.—
Bill Chappell,
NPR,
31 Mar. 2026
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That passive-aggressive email ruined your mood, but the feedback about your project was pretty accurate.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Botched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/botched. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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