as in to fumble
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
you've bollixed up the whole thing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bollix (up)
Verb
-
Before that, when the Jets could have taken the lead on their opening drive, Allen fumbled on the Dolphins’ 1-yard line.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
12 June 2026 -
The Spurs had one more chance, but Stephon Castle fumbled the inbounds pass and pandemonium at Madison Square Garden followed.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Once the opening whistle blew, all the focus turned to the field.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
16 June 2026
-
Winds will blow west to southwest at 10 mph with gusts as high as 20 mph.—
Garfield Hylton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
The Spurs rose up and ruined that party, winning their only game of the series.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
-
Historically, barrels of Madeira spent months crossing tropical oceans aboard ships, and merchants realized that the heat actually improved the wine rather than ruining it.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
But four years ago, Sorsby screwed up in a massive way.—
Trey Wallace OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
-
The two screwed up a top-rope stunner as Excalibur struggled to explain what happened like a 2026 Jim Ross.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Bollix (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bollix%20%28up%29. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
