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 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 As reported by Euronews, the opening planned for this weekend has been postponed to an unspecified date after severe winds mangled part of the artwork on the oldest bridge in the French capital. — Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 3 June 2026 Blade grinders function more like blenders, frantically whirring in circles, mangling the beans, and tossing them all over the grinding chamber. — Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 20 May 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 his second drive, Tagovailoa fumbled the snap from center and the Dolphins recovered.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Centennial fumbled on its first possession to set up Petero’s two-yard touchdown run.
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of fumble
Verb
  • It’s been a decade since the company best known for sucking up hair balls and dust bunnies blew with great force into the beauty business.
    — Jenny Bailly, Allure, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The Las Vegas spectacle, which opened to the public in August 2025, already blows audiences around with tornado-force wind, shakes them with haptic seats, sends giant winged monkeys flying overhead and drops hundreds of foam apples from the ceiling.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of blow
Verb
  • Once a package or tool was compromised, Shai-Hulud, as the worm was dubbed, attached itself to future package updates.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The investigation, dubbed Operation Sundown, centers on 60-year-old Juan Awais, who deputies describe as the alleged ringleader.
    — Chelsea Jones, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of dub
Verb
  • But if clouds ruin your view — or the moon is below the horizon at the time of the eclipse — there's no need to fret!
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The news of the relationship almost ruined the church, which quickly began hemorrhaging members.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of ruin
Verb
  • Then the candidate, unfamiliar with some far-away region of the world, botches it.
    — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026
  • This was an investigation into post-election violence in Kenya that was botched so badly the case fell apart.
    — Daniel Markind, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of botch
Verb
  • Indirect signs also suggest the proto-Neolithic community also dined on the European glass lizard (Pseudopus apodus), which featured tough scales that necessitated a completely different type of butchering.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 20 Aug. 2026
  • But isn’t the manager culpable when his dugout repeatedly butchers fundamental baserunning and defensive basics?
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of butcher
Verb
  • On Monday, a judge on Staten Island temporarily blocked the city from implementing the tax due to a lawsuit brought by a group of homeowners who allege the city bungled the rollout of the tax.
    — CBS New York Team, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The combustion of Graham Platner’s candidacy in Maine is another blow to a Democratic Party trying to mend its reputation after bungling the 2024 presidential election.
    — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 9 July 2026
Definition of bungle
Verb
  • The left-hander had a chance to go deeper Sunday, but the shortstop Lombard booted a potential inning-ending double-play grounder in the fourth.
    — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The travelling supporters were perched behind the goal for a perfect view of the wonder strike, and Ballard made a beeline straight towards them, booting the advertising hoarding for good measure.
    — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 23 Aug. 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 1 Sep. 2026.

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