MANGLE Synonyms: 61 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

mangle

verb

ˈmaŋ-gəl

Definition of mangle next

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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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

Examples 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 The Tampa Bay Rays’ Tropicana Field was mangled so badly by Category 3 winds that MLB officials are contemplating if the baseball team will need to play in a nearby venue to begin a season that won’t start until March. —

Demarco Williams, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024 Warren wrote: Wounded women and children crying and moaning, horribly mangled by the bullets … Two Indian men were killed in the hole … Seven women were killed … and three children, two of them in their mothers’ arms. —

Tim Madigan, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024 After all, this is the same outlet that was scolded by police at the scene of Kobe Bryant's death, the outlet that mangled the news of Tom Petty's death and shared the grainy, suspiciously obtained footage of Solange and Jay-Z's infamous elevator fight. —

Laura Trujillo, USA TODAY, 18 Oct. 2024 But these streaming service are mangling these stories by forcing this kind of massive wait between seasons for their most popular projects. —

Paul Tassi, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for mangle

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mangle

Verb

Taylor started Indy’s unraveling by fumbling away a would-be 41-yard touchdown early in the third quarter that would’ve given Indianapolis a 20-7 lead.

Nick Kosmider, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
That’s what Matt Stafford did after fumbling through the start of the game.

Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 12 Dec. 2024