as in fumbles
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
you've bollixed up the whole thing
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bollixes (up)
Verb
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Sonny feels like a departure; unlike Bernthal’s mercenaries, Sonny fumbles with his gun, has a bleeding heart, and lays his vulnerabilities bare.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
24 Feb. 2026 -
The Seahawks are a high-turnover team on both sides of the ball, but the 49ers have forced just two takeaways in the season series — both fumbles in the opener.—
Michael Nowels,
Mercury News,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The action Both teams traded blows early in the action, with the Cardinals jumping out to an early lead following a 10-0 spurt – familiar from last Saturday’s matchup.—
Hunter Bailey,
Miami Herald,
12 Mar. 2026
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If Ebikitie blows his market away, Dre'Mont Jones offers a perfect fallback option.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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For more history, the Maya ruins all over the area never fail to surprise, but Tulum remains singular with the only major Mayan site built dramatically atop seaside cliff.—
Gina Góngora,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Mar. 2026
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In games that matter, one bad inning — one weak link on the chain — ruins a whole game.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That’s true at the end of the film but not at the beginning, when Jason dons the mask and murders his film professor.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2026
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Her unscrupulous, power-hungry uncle Claudius (Kôji Yakusho) murders his own brother to become king.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Dominic Zvada boots a 31-yard field goal to give the Wolverines the lead.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
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While Americans searched for spaces for deeper community in that span, CultureCon – which now dubs itself the world's largest meetup of creatives – sprouted from a gathering of 21 people in Ellis' apartment to an annual gathering place for 12,000 attendees.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
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What the site dubs Best of the Best Destinations reflect places visitors have given the highest ratings over the past year.—
Vinod Sreeharsha,
Miami Herald,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Kyle tries to jump up the wall, lands awkwardly, and screws up his ankle.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
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What all happens that screws up everything?—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
28 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Bollixes (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bollixes%20%28up%29. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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