What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
garble
Example
The phone connection was so bad that I could only hear garbled words. [garbled: adjective]
Example
The journalist accused the politician of garbling the facts to mislead the public. [garbling: gerund or present participle]
mangle
Example
The car accident mangled the metal beyond repair. [mangled: verb]
Example
The laundry machine mangled my favorite shirt. [mangled: past tense]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Mangle is more commonly used than garble in everyday language. Mangle is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while garble is less common and refers to a specific type of distortion or confusion.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between garble and mangle?
Both garble and mangle are typically associated with an informal tone, but garble can be used in formal contexts when referring to the distortion of information or communication.
