砸
zá · HSK 7
bungle
🪨💥 砸 = 石 rock radical + 匝; a heavy rock smashes down, so the plan falls through
The 石 stone radical signals weight: to 砸 is to pound or tamp with something heavy. By extension a job that gets crushed is one you bungle, so 砸 also means to flop or fall through. The blunt zá even sounds like a smash landing.
砸 — stone 石 + miscellaneous 雜 (phonetic, simplified base)
砸 is a phono-semantic compound. The stone radical 石 gives the meaning, suggesting smashing or pounding with something heavy, while the right side hints at the sound zá. It is a relatively late character used for 'to smash, pound, or bungle.'