bork

What is another word for bork? Here is its meaning, with related words and examples.

Verb — Informal: to break, damage, or misconfigure something, especially a computer or piece of software.

We haven't recorded synonyms for bork yet. You can still read its full definition, where it comes from, or words that rhyme with it.

How to use bork

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

bork the system get borked bork a nomination

Very informal in both senses — common in tech circles and political commentary, not formal writing.

Etymology

The "attack a nominee" sense comes directly from Robert Bork, whose 1987 U.S. Supreme Court nomination was defeated after a fierce public campaign against him; the "break/damage" sense (mainly used about computers) developed later as unrelated slang.

Full origin of bork →

Frequently asked questions

What does “bork” mean?

The word “bork” means informal: to break, damage, or misconfigure something, especially a computer or piece of software. In plain terms, to mess something up (tech slang), or to tank someone's nomination through a hostile public campaign.

How do you pronounce “bork”?

“Bork” is pronounced bawk (/boɹk/ in IPA).

How do you use “bork” in a sentence?

Here is “bork” used in a sentence: “The update completely borked my laptop's wifi settings.”

What part of speech is “bork”?

“Bork” is a verb.

Where does the word “bork” come from?

The word “bork” dates back to around 1987.

How many meanings does “bork” have?

“Bork” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: informal: to break, damage, or misconfigure something, especially a computer or piece of software.

Nearby words

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