1
: a state of confusion or an error caused by ineptitude, carelessness, or mismanagement
foul-ups in transportation
2
: a mechanical difficulty
fouled up; fouling up; fouls up
1
: to make dirty : contaminate
2
: to spoil by making mistakes or using poor judgment : confuse
: to cause a foul-up : bungle
it was his fault. He had fouled up—
Pat Frank
Pat FrankSynonyms
Examples of foul-up in a Sentence
Noun
there was a foul-up with our mail order, and not one item arrived as ordered
Verb
tried not to foul up the football play
unfortunately, I fouled up and in my e-mail gave everyone the wrong date for the meeting
Recent Examples on the WebTimothy Noah, The New Republic, 30 June 2023
What had seemed like abandonment turned out to be a pet-sitting foul-up, but the owner also needed help with some veterinary issues, said Kris Lindsay, who oversees the recovery center.
—Jennifer Peltz, ajc, 7 May 2023
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2024
See the stunning shot... AIRLINE 'CHAOS' – A flight was canceled after someone fouled up the aircraft amid delays.
—Fox News Staff, Fox News, 19 Oct. 2023
See all Example Sentences for foul-up 
Noun
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
What had seemed like abandonment turned out to be a pet-sitting foul-up, but the owner also needed help with some veterinary issues, said Kris Lindsay, who oversees the recovery center.
—Jennifer Peltz, ajc, 7 May 2023
Verb
For just one of 67 counties to use the wrong one could foul up an entire statewide count.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2024
See the stunning shot... AIRLINE 'CHAOS' – A flight was canceled after someone fouled up the aircraft amid delays.
—Fox News Staff, Fox News, 19 Oct. 2023
See all Example Sentences for foul-up
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'foul-up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near foul-up
Cite this Entry
“Foul-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foul-up. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
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