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
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Denver recovered the ensuing onside kick, but, alas, on the next play, Steve Sewell fumbled the ball back to Buffalo.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
21 Jan. 2026 -
Maye finished 16 of 27 for 179 yards but had an interception and fumbled four times, losing two in cold conditions with snow and rain falling throughout the game.—
Kyle Hightower,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As the curtain came down, Hilty waved and blew kisses to the crowd.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
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LaFleur has one year remaining on his contract, and his job status came into question after the Packers blew an 18-point fourth-quarter lead in Saturday night’s 31-27 playoff loss to the Chicago Bears.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
12 Jan. 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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In a world of near-constant conference realignment and the transfer portal, the annual Red River Rivalry game at the State Fair of Texas is one of the few things the sport hasn’t screwed up.—
Jim Barnes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The company aims to scale up its distribution footprint and leverage its physical stores — dubbed Alo Sanctuaries — not just as transactional spaces but hubs for community-building experiences.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
10 Jan. 2026
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But this week, the unwelcome house guest, dubbed Yellow 2120 by researchers, finally got his formal eviction notice.—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In 2017, for instance, prosecutors in Contra Costa overcame an insanity defense by William Shultz, who murdered a 9-year-old Discovery Bay boy during a sleepover and blamed it on a delusion about an impending World War III.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
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Three women are murdered in Dahlonega, Georgia, and the six episodes are all about the search for the culprit.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Nothing is worse than a garment getting thrown into the washer and ruined by mistake.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
19 Jan. 2026
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McCarthyism, as the movement became known, ruined the reputations and destroyed the careers of hundreds of innocent people.—
Chris John Amorosino,
Hartford Courant,
16 Jan. 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 23 Jan. 2026.
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