garble
to confuse unintentionally or ignorantly; jumble: to garble instructions.
to make unfair or misleading selections from or arrangement of (fact, statements, writings, etc.); distort: to garble a quotation.
Archaic. to take out the best of.
the act or process of garbling.
an instance of garbling; a garbled phrase, literary passage, etc.
Origin of garble
1Other words from garble
- gar·ble·a·ble, adjective
- garbler, noun
- un·gar·bled, adjective
Words Nearby garble
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use garble in a sentence
His voice is now shriller, the sobbing more pathetic, and the words begin to garble as he swallows water.
Whatever You Do Someone Will Die. A Short Story About Impossible Choices in Iraq | Nathan Bradley Bethea | August 31, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAs it is dangerous to garble law papers, we shall lay the document before the public just as it appeared.
Tales And Novels, Volume 5 (of 10) | Maria EdgeworthHe is of the same opinion to the end, you see, although he has been obliged to cloak and garble that opinion for political ends.
Familiar Studies of Men and Books | Robert Louis StevensonI had rather consult the papers for myself: for I should not garble them, taking just what suited me, but should read the whole.
It will put his case as it is, not as others might garble it, and will obtain the sympathy of all.'
Under the Chinese Dragon | F. S. Brereton
He may refuse to publish improper articles, but he may not garble and misrepresent them without incurring reproof.
British Dictionary definitions for garble
/ (ˈɡɑːbəl) /
to jumble (a story, quotation, etc), esp unintentionally
to distort the meaning of (an account, text, etc), as by making misleading omissions; corrupt
rare to select the best part of
the act of garbling
garbled matter
Origin of garble
1Derived forms of garble
- garbler, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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