garble
3 synonyms for garble, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Verb — To choose only parts of a text so as to twist its original meaning.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Etymology
Came into English from Middle English garbelen, from Anglo-Norman garbeler (“to sift”), from Medieval Latin garbellare (or a similar Italian word), from Arabic غَرْبَلَ (ḡarbala, “to sift”).
Full origin of garble →