Phrasal verb
botch up
Definition
phrasal verb. to do a piece of work or a task very badly or carelessly. You use this when someone makes a mess of a job.
phrasal verb. to perform a task clumsily or unsuccessfully; to ruin something through poor workmanship or lack of skill. Often carries a colloquial register.
Examples
“I really botched up the interview yesterday.”
“The builders botched up the roof repair, and now it leaks even more than before.”
“The administration botched up the rollout of the new software, leading to widespread confusion among the staff and a significant loss in productivity.”
Examples
simple
“I really botched up the interview yesterday.”
contextual
“The builders botched up the roof repair, and now it leaks even more than before.”
complex
“The administration botched up the rollout of the new software, leading to widespread confusion among the staff and a significant loss in productivity.”
Usage
often used with tasks, repairs, or social situations that go wrong.
Teaching tip
point out that 'botch' can be used alone as a verb with the same meaning; adding 'up' emphasizes the completeness of the failure.
Pitfall
He botched up of the project.
He botched up the project.
the phrasal verb is transitive and takes a direct object without an extra preposition like 'of'.
Phrasal verb
Particles
up
Separability
optional
Pattern
botch + (object) + up
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/botch-up