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

Two lessons stand out from the Cook County inspector general’s assessment of the fiasco.

— Tom Dowling, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026
And outside of the biggest Kool-Aid® guzzlers in Cupertino, pretty much nobody thinks Apple is interested in going for another big bite of live sports, especially not in light of its MLS fiasco.

— Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 31 July 2026

Definition of fiasco

Noun

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
Between the players on the pitch, the coaches, the pundits and the public, there seems to be a muddle of agendas.

— Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 26 June 2026

Definition of muddle

Noun

Next week, for the first time ever, Taiwan will deliberately slow its mobile internet speed, testing how citizens would communicate if bandwidth becomes scarce in emergencies ranging ⁠from disasters to a Chinese invasion.

— Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
There was another near disaster when, two weeks out from the wedding, the couple learned their venue couldn’t accommodate them.

— Jessica Salter, Vogue, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of disaster

Noun

Commissioner Mayra Uribe said the Sloth World debacle also highlighted the need for a system that would allow people to report problems at similar facilities.

— Rylan DiGiacomo-Rapp, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2026
Barring that, which seems unlikely as of now, and this is a real debacle for Republicans — who can’t afford one in such a tight election season.

— Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of debacle

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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 14 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of cock-up

noun

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