foul-up

noun \ ˈfau̇(-ə)l-ˌəp \

|Updated on: 4 Jun 2018

Examples: foul-up in a Sentence

Definition of foul-up

1 : a state of confusion or an error caused by ineptitude, carelessness, or mismanagement

foul-ups in transportation

2 : a mechanical difficulty

See foul-up defined for English-language learners

See foul-up defined for kids

First Known Use of foul-up

1950

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

foul-up Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

bobble, botch, bungle, fumble;

blunder, error, fault, flub, goof, inaccuracy, lapse, miscue, misstep, mistake, oversight, slip, slipup, stumble;

chaos, confusion, disarrangement, disarray, disorder, disorganization, hash, jumble, mess, muddle, shambles;

foul up

verb

Definition of foul up

transitive verb

1 : to make dirty : contaminate

2 : to spoil by making mistakes or using poor judgment : confuse

3 : entangle, block

fouled up communications

intransitive verb

: to cause a foul-up : bungle

it was his fault. He had fouled up
—Pat Frank

See foul up defined for kids

Examples of foul up in a Sentence

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 of foul up from the Web

Got there late, being fouled up en route by getting on wrong tube.

— phoebe wall howard, Detroit Free Press, "Service Diary of a Corpsman: Roy L. Wall, LST 509," 28 May 2018
Radiation fouled up their microprocessors and camera components.

— krista stevens, Longreads, "Little Sunfish: The Robot That Could," 1 May 2018
Radiation fouled up their microprocessors and camera components.

— krista stevens, Longreads, "Little Sunfish: The Robot That Could," 1 May 2018
Radiation fouled up their microprocessors and camera components.

— krista stevens, Longreads, "Little Sunfish: The Robot That Could," 1 May 2018
Radiation fouled up their microprocessors and camera components.

— vince beiser, WIRED, "The Robot Assault On Fukushima," 26 Apr. 2018
Multiple automakers are about to start tests of driverless cars in which there is no one behind the steering wheel waiting to take over in case the car fouls up.

— nathan bomey, USA TODAY, "Why self-driving cars will likely be light-colored," 29 Jan. 2018
Pike doesn't have a lot of chances to foul up with his dad, Dayton head football coach Jeff Nations, following his progress.

— david taylor, Houston Chronicle, "Dayton powerlifting on the rise," 17 Feb. 2018
According to biographer Michelle Vogel, Vélez’s English was often fouled up in the interviews to fit a Mexican stereotype.

— hadley meares, Los Angeles Magazine, "The Turbulent Life and Tragic Death of “Mexican Spitfire” Lupe Velez," 8 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'foul up.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of foul up

1947

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

foul up Synonyms

Synonyms

blow, bobble, boggle, bollix (up), boot, botch, bumble, bungle, butcher, dub, flub, fluff, foozle, fumble, goof (up), louse up, mangle, mess (up), muck up, muff, murder, screw up;

Near Antonyms

ameliorate, better, enhance, help, improve, meliorate, rectify, refine, reform, remedy;

doctor, fix, patch, recondition, renovate, repair, revamp;

Related Words

blunder, gum (up), muddle, piffle;

blemish, blight, damage, flaw, harm, hurt, impair, injure, mar, mutilate, ruin, spoil, vitiate;

destroy, wreck;

mishandle, mismanage;

FOUL-UP Defined for English Language Learners

foul-up

noun

Definition of foul-up for English Language Learners

: a problem caused by someone making a mistake or being careless

Learn More about foul-up

See words that rhyme with foul-up Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for foul-up Spanish Central: Translation of foul-up Nglish: Translation of foul-up for Spanish speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up foul-up? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

WORD OF THE DAY

jabberwocky

play

meaningless speech or writing

BROWSE DICTIONARY

foul tip

foul trouble

foul-up

foul up

foumart

Test Your Vocabulary

Name More Food!

Name that Fruit!

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Word Winder's CrossWinder

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games