as in mistake
an instance of confusion
there was a foul-up with our mail order, and not one item arrived as ordered
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to fumble
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
tried not to foul up the football play
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to trip
to make a mistake
unfortunately, I fouled up and in my e-mail gave everyone the wrong date for the meeting
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of foul-up
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
7 Sep. 2024
Rather, inflation had arisen from supply chain foul-ups caused by the Covid epidemic, an act of God rendered worse by comic-opera mismanagement under President Donald Trump.
—
Timothy Noah,
The New Republic,
30 June 2023
Dave Duffey,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
Wild turkeys gobbled up Staten Island straphangers’ time on Monday, after a flock fouled up service on the Staten Island Railway.
—
Evan Simko-Bednarski,
New York Daily News,
17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for foul-up
Noun
That foul-up then gets included in the series of questions and answers, causing the final answer to go askew.
—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
7 Sep. 2024
Rather, inflation had arisen from supply chain foul-ups caused by the Covid epidemic, an act of God rendered worse by comic-opera mismanagement under President Donald Trump.
—
Timothy Noah,
The New Republic,
30 June 2023
Verb
But their strategy was fouled up when the car’s occupants switched on the headlights, throwing a glare up the tote road along which the wardens had planned to sprint.
—
Dave Duffey,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
Wild turkeys gobbled up Staten Island straphangers’ time on Monday, after a flock fouled up service on the Staten Island Railway.
—
Evan Simko-Bednarski,
New York Daily News,
17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for foul-up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foul-up
Noun
-
That ended his day after five innings of one-run ball, with just one mistake — a slider that Manny Machado clobbered for a solo homer — against him.
-
Will this turn into a tragic mistake Daemon soon regrets?
Verb
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But in her concentration, Porsha fumbled her words, which made the Faithfuls, who were desperate for a crumb of evidence so early in the game, suspicious of her sincerity.
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With Yerry De los Santos also fumbling a bunt in the eighth, the Yanks tallied a season-high four errors on the night.
Verb
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Mysterio tripped Page onto the second rope, but Page cut off Rey Mysterio with a big boot as Rey attempted a 619.
-
Neural pathways controlling core bodily functions — feeling in the limbs, movement and breathing — were collapsing one by one, like circuit breakers tripping in rapid succession.
Noun
-
Ousmane Dembele — France/Paris Saint-Germain (+8) Finally scored his first career goal at a major tournament for France against Iraq, and also pounced upon a terrible defensive mix-up to coolly give Mbappe a tap-in.
-
One 56-year-old reviewer recalled being carded while buying wine and credited the serum for the mix-up.
Verb
-
Finally, during penalties, Paraguay was up 3-2 and needed to make only one more kick before missing its last two, nearly blowing the match.
-
The sobering reality, however, is that this is a 35-48 team that already has been blown too far off course.
Verb
-
Scientists have stumbled on a rare dinosaur fossil from Antarctica, tucked away for decades in a drawer.
-
However, Portugal stumbled in its opening match, managing only a 1–1 draw against the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Noun
-
Mercury stations retrograde in Cancer in your 11th House of Friends and Community, bringing old invitations, group-chat confusion, or unclear expectations back into focus.
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In it, the author described a culture of confusion, stress, and incompetence, as contractors competed for work to be completed under near-impossible deadlines.
Verb
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But four years ago, Sorsby screwed up in a massive way.
-
The two screwed up a top-rope stunner as Excalibur struggled to explain what happened like a 2026 Jim Ross.
Cite this Entry
“Foul-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foul-up. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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