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 Despite these findings, the Ethics Committee’s analysis mangles the laws and safeguards that Congress itself had crafted to protect trafficking victims, particularly children. Lori L. Cohen, New York Daily News, 28 Jan. 2025 Six people were pulled alive from the rubble of a Missouri home Saturday morning after an unexplained explosion mangled the residence, authorities said. Dennis Romero, NBC News, 1 Dec. 2024 Rust is a big deal, as is the fact that many Panteras have been mangled by previous owners bestowing hideous enhancements (think bad celebrity plastic surgery) on otherwise desirable cars. Robert Ross, Robb Report, 17 Jan. 2025 Our daily lives have been mangled beyond recognition. Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mangle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mangle
Verb
  • Gonzaga did have a shot to tie on its final possession, but Khalif Battle fumbled a handoff and had his desperation 3-pointer blocked by Ja’Vier Francis.
    CJ Moore, The Athletic, 23 Mar. 2025
  • After Hovland calmly made a bogey on the last to secure the win, PGA Tour fans wasted no time grilling Thomas for fumbling a golden opportunity.
    Kevin Sabet, Newsweek, 23 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • At night, after the final whistle was blown, thousands of jubilant fans poured into the streets, heading toward the city’s bars to continue the debauchery, sometimes till dawn.
    Andrew McNicol, CNN, 22 Mar. 2025
  • Since that region is particularly barren, the wind picks up and starts blowing dust towards the Metroplex.
    Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Today’s flagship data center GPUs, like Nvidia’s Hopper and newer Blackwell architecture, are dubbed the engines of this new industrial revolution.
    Janakiram MSV, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
  • The actress was soon dubbed America's Sweetheart and has since earned the title of PEOPLE's World's Most Beautiful Woman a record five times.
    Andrew Walsh, EW.com, 23 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.
    Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 23 Mar. 2025
  • But those stocks were mined with some gusto, and large portions of the island were essentially ruined.
    Nick Miller, The Athletic, 21 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Public health officials utterly botched their handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, on everything from lockdown and vaccine efficacy to the virus's origins in China.
    Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Castillo reached second, took third on McKelvey’s bunt that was botched, and scored on an Ortiz grounder.
    Martin Henderson, Oc Register, 27 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • People butchered his name, called him Tar-eek or Skoo-ball.
    Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
  • While this technically isn't actually karaoke, this scene from 27 Dresses is worth an honorable mention for the epic singalong, as Heigl's Jane and Marsden's Kevin lead the fellow patrons into belting out and butchering the lyrics of the 1973 classic.
    EW Staff Published, EW.com, 20 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Rogen is well cast as flustered Matt Remick, a bungling new CEO for the ailing Continental Studios.
    Randy Myers, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2025
  • Meanwhile, the kid has thrown for over 3,000 yards with 19 TDS to only 5 INTs, has led the team back multiple times in 4th quarters only to have the coaches bungle things, and holds an ongoing record for most passes by a rookie QB with no picks.
    Kevin Fishbain, The Athletic, 22 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • The Palisades and Eaton fires burned more than 40,000 acres and destroyed at least 12,000 buildings.
    Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Many of the early hires were believed to be young tech engineers with little to no government experience, prompting criticism from Democrats and unions that critical government services and systems would be cut or destroyed.
    Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Mangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mangle. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on mangle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!