To mangle means to damage or ruin something badly, often by crushing, twisting, or tearing it. When a newspaper goes through a printing press incorrectly, it might come out mangled: crumpled, torn, and unreadable. A metal fence struck by a car becomes mangled, bent and twisted beyond its original shape.

The word suggests violent or severe damage. You wouldn't say someone mangled a piece of paper by folding it once, but you might say they mangled it after crumpling it into a ball, stepping on it, and tearing it apart. The damage from mangling usually makes something difficult or impossible to use or recognize.

People also use mangle when someone ruins something less physical, like language. If someone mispronounces a word so badly that others can barely understand it, you might say they mangled the pronunciation. When a student copies an essay carelessly and fills it with errors, they've mangled the original text. A musician who plays a song with dozens of wrong notes has mangled the melody.

The word carries a sense of carelessness or violence. Things don't get mangled when you're being careful. They get mangled when something goes seriously wrong.