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verb

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fizzle - To finish in a way that is disappointing

At the start of his race for mayor it looked like Fred was going to win, but his many verbal mistakes caused his candidacy to just fizzle out.

noun

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glitch - A sudden, unexpected, and usually temporary malfunction of equipment such as a computer

The space shuttle take-off was canceled with 2 seconds left in the countdown, due to a glitch discovered in the fuel supply.

noun

See verb

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unforgivable - So bad as to be unable to be forgiven or excused

He was fired because the company felt that stealing money was an unforgivable act.

verb

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backfire - To have the opposite effect of what was intended, usually producing a negative result.

At the company meeting, his attempt to lie backfired, and when the truth came out, he was very embarrassed.

adjective

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culpable - Deserving to be blamed or considered responsible and guilty for something bad that happened.

The mother felt that her oldest son was more culpable for the messy bedroom than his younger brother, because he should have known better.

verb

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squander - To waste something, such as money or time, in a reckless and foolish manner

Many lottery winners end up squandering their fortune and returning to their life of poverty.

adjective

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inadvertent - Not deliberately planned or intended.

He made an inadvertent mistake by sending the email to the wrong person.

verb

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bungle - To carry out a task clumsily or incompetently, leading to failure or an unsatisfactory outcome

The painter bungled his job when he misspelled the word on the road sign.

verb

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fritter - To waste or squander time, money or resources.

My father told me I would prosper if I don't fritter away my time and money because they are equally precious.

adjective

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erroneous - Misleading or false in belief, statement, or action.

Relying on erroneous data can lead to poor decisions in business.

adjective

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spurious - False and incorrect

The teacher showed Max that his scientific conclusions were wrong because they were based on spurious facts and logic.

adjective

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negligent - To mistakenly fail to do something that should have been done

Bill admitted that he was negligent in not locking the door, and as a result the house was robbed.