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
During filming, wood beams ran across the ceiling in the kitchen, which had a brick wall, a fireplace, and a butcher-block island. — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 11 Aug. 2026 On the clock at Fox and Pearl, butcher and charcutier Guy Danforth prepares meats that may appear avant-garde or sound downright weird. — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 11 Aug. 2026
Verb
The meats — some butchered on-site by Soto — sear over mesquite charcoal, with smoke wafting through the large patio and over the restaurant’s bright pink walls. — Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026 Jurors heard a harrowing voicemail left by Johnson begging one of her friends for help as Williams butchered her, stabbing her five times in the chest and four times in her back. — John Annese, New York Daily News, 12 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
  • His restaurant, Danny’s Burger Shack, serves beef slaughtered in Kansas, southern Nebraska and Missouri, supplied through the Braveheart Black Angus Beef program.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Translation - go straight for 2 miles on the general who slaughtered hundreds of Black soldiers who were trying to surrender.
    — Terry Gross, NPR, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of slaughter
Verb
  • The Packers’ offense left the field, but came back after it was ruled that Watson was down before fumbling.
    — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
  • In the bathroom, my fingers fumbled in the inner pocket of my jacket, searching for the passport.
    — Ledio Cakaj, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of fumble
Verb
  • Two exes alleged Watts blew past their boundaries to satisfy his own needs.
    — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 24 Aug. 2026
  • First and foremost is the peak load of 75 W and 12 V DC support, which can charge your phone in about 35 minutes if the wind is blowing at top speeds.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of blow
Verb
  • Its agents have been accused of murdering dozens of people living abroad.
    — Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The biggest bombshell in this episode is that Emma Easton was likely the person who murdered Isabel.
    — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of murder
Verb
  • Every episode of a show needs to be completely produced and dubbed or subtitled into dozens of languages before any episode can debut.
    — Josef Adalian, Vulture, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Abdeen guessed that they were drawn to the familiar symbols that the Masons borrowed from what the French had dubbed the Orient, such as the tarboosh, a brimless and tasselled hat.
    — Rozina Ali, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of dub
Verb
  • Complex documents with tables, charts and mixed content need each content type scored separately, since a model can nail text while mangling a table.
    — Sriram Bhargav Madhav, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Old tree roots have mangled sidewalks and created obstacles for pedestrians, especially parents with strollers and people using wheelchairs.
    — Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 13 July 2026
Definition of mangle
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

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Cite this Entry

“Butcher.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/butcher. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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