Garble: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Garble verb. To mix up or distort a message so that it becomes confusing or wrong.
How to say it
GAR-bul/ˈɡɑːb(ə)l/
2 syllables, stressed on the first (GAR). Forms: garbled.
Garble in a sentence
The bad phone line garbled her directions and I ended up in the wrong village.
By the time the rumour reached the third floor, it had been thoroughly garbled.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- muddle
- scramble
- distort
- jumble
Opposite:
- clarify
Where garble comes from
First meaning to sift spices, via Italian garbellare from Arabic gharbala, to sift.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
By the time the rumour reached the third floor, it had been thoroughly _____.
- equivocate
- interject
- garble
Show the answer
garble: By the time the rumour reached the third floor, it had been thoroughly garbled.