as in fumbled
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
I've somehow buggered up the program again
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buggered (up)
Verb
-
Maye tossed eight interceptions and fumbled eight times last season.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
10 June 2026 -
Dart fumbled a shotgun snap on the goal line in a situational period later in the practice.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
9 June 2026
Verb
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Once the opening whistle blew, all the focus turned to the field.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
16 June 2026
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After someone blew a hole in the Nord Stream Pipeline deep under the Baltic Sea in September 2022, the global media debated a geopolitical whodunnit.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
15 June 2026
Verb
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The often abrasive Atlas even agrees with June that older generations have screwed up the world for their kids.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
11 Nov. 2025
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How do things get so screwed up?—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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On the ensuing power play, the Wild were doing a fine job when two of their normally reliable penalty killers fouled up.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2026
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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
Verb
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Across the planet, the actions of humans are creating novel ecosystems, which according to the BBC, have been dubbed Freco systems by the daughter of professor of ecology.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
21 Aug. 2025
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The flaw, dubbed CVE-2025-43300, involves Image IO, the company’s software framework for reading and writing image formats.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Conlon also launched Recovered Voices, an initiative to revive operas by composers who had been murdered or driven into exile during the Nazi era.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
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And in 1960, fearing Congo and its vast resources moving out of the West’s sphere of influence, Eisenhower ordered Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba murdered.—
Ta-Nehisi Coates,
Vanity Fair,
15 June 2026
Verb
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That's when the PAW Patrol has to step in to stop Humdinger before the island is ruined!—
Sari Hitchins,
Parents,
10 June 2026
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But Wembanyama and the Spurs ended the streak and ruined the Knicks’ first home NBA Finals game since 1999.—
Brian Mahoney,
Chicago Tribune,
9 June 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Buggered (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buggered%20%28up%29. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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