botch

After deciding on Hutchins, Souza said he told the film’s producers and production managers to hire her: “Please don’t botch the deal because she’s really great.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 1, 2024

He’ll botch a gig over his annoyance at not being allowed to call a stranger by a pet name she reserves for her closest friend.

From Salon ● Feb. 9, 2024

It was a stunning botch job from a ruthless finisher.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2023

The botch required the rescoring of 300,000 exams, scholastic victims of the knotty coin rotation paradox.

From Scientific American ● Jun. 20, 2023

Ignore this rule and you'll hesitate, botch it, and be caught like Steve McQueen on barbed wire in The Great Escape.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

But even when Kiki botches a delivery by dropping a toy mid-air, sending it tumbling into a nearby forest, a bit of reciprocal effort solves the problem.

From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026

The infinite variables in sports can quickly make many of the bets they are holding nearly worthless, whether it is because a player is severely injured or a team botches a crucial touchdown.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 9, 2026

In China, Xinhua news agency's website ran an article with the headline: "British Navy botches test: Missile crashes into the sea with a 'thud', nuclear submarine hovering underwater".

From BBC ● Feb. 22, 2024

But when Greg tries to follow those steps, he botches it.

From New York Times ● Apr. 2, 2023

No one can respect himself who habitually botches his work, and when self-respect drops, confidence goes with it; and when confidence and self-respect have gone, excellence is impossible.

From Pushing to the Front by Orison Swett Marden

Another botched opportunity: Trailing by a field goal late in the third quarter, the Chargers had a third-and-inches on their side of the field.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026

"They've botched every single part of this trial."

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

On Monday, a Staten Island judge held arguments on the legality of the pied-à-terre tax launch, or as Mastro described it in court, “a botched rollout of unparalleled proportions.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

Bureau staffers caught problems mid-transfer, from inaccurate due dates to botched repayment schedules, and directed the companies to fix them.

From Salon ● Sep. 1, 2026

Castro oversaw the defense of the Bay of Pigs personally, and, far from threatening his hold on Cuba, the botched invasion helped consolidate his power.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

But they can’t see what I remember when I hold it: cymbals timed correctly during the performance, a gratified nod from the conductor after weeks of botching it in rehearsal.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

But when a delivery bot drives off a pier, or a humanoid faceplants while botching a dance move, people are seeing more than slapstick humor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

To its many critics, the Ministry of Defence failed to spend well what money it got, botching procurement after procurement, delivering new equipment late and over budget.

From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026

Michigan won despite losing an early fumble that led to a touchdown, botching an extra-point attempt, missing a field-goal try, and failing on a couple of really dumb trick plays.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 1, 2024

“I’m sorry. I’m botching this. I'm not used to really talking, just on the Net. Look, I trust you, but I’m not the only one involved. So let’s wait, okay?”

From "Among the Hidden" by Margaret Peterson Haddix