butcher 1 of 2

noun

ˈbu̇-chər How to pronounce butcher (audio)
Definition of butchernext
as in blunderer
someone who bungles an effort the newest intern on the campaign is a butcher when it comes to writing press releases

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

butcher

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to slaughter
to kill on a large scale the barbarians butchered the monks in the monasteries without mercy

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2
as in to fumble
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way the new piano student butchered the sonatina

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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 butcher
Noun
Most worked to serve the city's elites as guards, cleaners, tailors and butchers. — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026 Durant's Steakhouse At Durant’s Steakhouse in Phoenix, the Chef’s Cut Hanging Bacon at Durant’s begins with premium, generously thick cut Colorado Farms bacon, hand cut each day by master butchers. — Aly Walansky, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Verb
Elephants are widely adored by many people today — but a recent study suggests early humans were butchering them for survival nearly 2 million years ago. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 14 Aug. 2026 With more than 3 billion users, WhatsApp is among the largest areas of scam activity, like wire transfers and pig butchering scams. — Stevie Bonifield, The Verge, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for butcher
Recent Examples of Synonyms for butcher
  1. incompetent
  2. slaughter
  3. fumble
  4. blow
  5. murder
  6. dub
  7. mangle
  8. ruin
Noun
  • The Dodgers reached the pinnacle honestly, in a capitalistic structure that properly hands no favors to the incompetent.
    — Bruce Jenkins, San Francisco Chronicle, 18 Jan. 2026
Definition of incompetent
Verb
  • Already, in South Africa, an ostrich flock that survives bird flu would only be quarantined and rigorously tested for reinfection, not slaughtered.
    — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Every year, live chickens are confined and slaughtered at makeshift sites on Brooklyn streets and sidewalks.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of slaughter
Verb
  • The Cougars were stopped at the UCF 3 on consecutive drives before Overmyer fumbled at the UCF 7 and into the end zone, recovered by the Knights.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
  • On Friday, the Rams waived punt returner Xavier Smith, who fumbled in last season’s NFC championship game and made several decision-making errors against the Broncos.
    — Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of fumble
Verb
  • Miller blew just three saves in the regular season and allowed just 37 total hits.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • In Orange County, Anaheim hit 101 degrees Sunday, blowing past the 98-degree record set in 2020.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of blow
Verb
  • Hannie was captured, tortured, and murdered by the Nazis in the final months of the war, but never snitched on her sisters.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2026
  • In May, Tony Carruthers, who was convicted of kidnapping and murdering three people in 1994, was not executed because officials could not find a suitable vein for an IV line, so the drugs were not administered.
    — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of murder
Verb
  • The report focused on two buildings of the facility dubbed East and West.
    — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Defendants Matthew Ingalls, Jonathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris and Scott Kretzschmar — dubbed the Cornell 7 online — have all denied wrongdoing.
    — Janelle Griffith, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of dub
Verb
  • Photos showed his paws mangled and covered with open red sores.
    — Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Machines meant to begin giving the shells perfectly smooth noses would, instead, mangle them into swirls that looked like soft-serve ice cream.
    — ProPublica, ProPublica, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of mangle
Verb
  • On Monday, workers hauled out a 200-pound piece of equipment that was ruined by the saltwater and sand carried in on the high tides.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026
  • So our goal is to learn how to maximize AI budgets, not ration them and ruin productivity gains.
    — Konstantin Klyagin, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of ruin

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butch
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Cite this Entry

“Butcher.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/butcher. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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