verb / noun
bungle
BUNG-gul/ˈbʌŋɡl/
A mistake made by doing something clumsily or poorly.
The woman bungles the wrapping, leaving a corner of the gift exposed.
Etymology
Bungle already meant working or acting clumsily in its earliest recorded use. Its origin remains obscure; an imitative formation is one suggestion, rather than an established root explaining the meaning.
In context
Democrats will bungle this Nancy Pelosi won't know what she's doing and we're already getting indications that that is in fact the case
More examples
- A clerical bungle sent the letter to the wrong address.
- They bungled the handoff and dropped the baton.
- The team apologized for bungling the reservation.
Forms
bungle · bungles · bungled · bungling
Similar words
- mistake
- Any error, while bungle stresses clumsy or incompetent execution.