COCK-UP Synonyms: 40 Similar and Opposite Words

cock-up

noun

Definition of cock-up

British

as in shambles

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cock-up

Noun

Of course this was a calculated power play, not a bureaucratic botch.

— U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
During last week's WWE SmackDown, a series of mistakes and botches drew harsh criticism from fans.

— Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025

Definition of botch

Noun

In the city of Hurricane in far southwestern Utah, a shipping container drifting down a street gave way Friday to a mess of mud and debris to be cleaned up as people who had evacuated earlier in the week returned home.

— MEAD GRUVER, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
General manager Les Snead is also culpable for this mess of a season, trading for Myles Garrett, who has done absolutely zero for this team.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of mess

Noun

The essay convinced me that Woodward stopped being a journalist after his great work with Carl Bernstein during the Watergate fiasco.

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 29 Oct. 2026
After a bad debate against challenger Nithya Raman over the summer and the fiasco that was City Hall’s response to the Lineage fire, the incumbent had no other way forward but attack, attack, attack.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of fiasco

Noun

Blend yours with frozen mango, muddle in fresh blackberries, or infuse the tequila with chiles.

— Hannah Lee Leidy, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Sep. 2026
Although its advocates may claim inspiration from both the Great Society tradition of the Democratic Party and Nordic-style democratic socialism, consumer socialism is really a muddle of the two.

— Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026

Definition of muddle

Noun

Spain’s second high-speed rail disaster this year, in which one train struck another from behind, killing 69 people, has raised fresh concerns about the safety of the country’s rail network ahead of a national election.

— Joseph Wilson, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
The new rail disaster can't help the prospects of his Socialist party.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of disaster

Noun

Since Benson and her co-authors met in Oviedo, weather catastrophes have multiplied, oceans have acidified and the amount of carbon in the atmosphere has soared.

— Katie Worth, ProPublica, 30 Oct. 2026
But this latest catastrophe could clip the wings of any comeback.

— Vasco Cotovio, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of catastrophe

Noun

There were, for example, a few state-level permitting debacles, with New Mexico rejecting SunZia’s initial transmission route in 2018.

— Sara Herschander, Vox, 22 Oct. 2026
So unsurprisingly, Councilmember Nithya Raman, her challenger in the mayoral campaign, is going after her on the people mover debacle and other transportation shortcomings.

— Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of debacle

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.

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cocktails

cock-up

cock-ups

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“Cock-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cock-up. Accessed 3 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of cock-up

noun

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