as in mistake
an instance of confusion
there was a foul-up with our mail order, and not one item arrived as ordered
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to fumble
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
tried not to foul up the football play
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to trip
to make a mistake
unfortunately, I fouled up and in my e-mail gave everyone the wrong date for the meeting
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of foul-up
Lance Eliot, Forbes, 7 Sep. 2024
Rather, inflation had arisen from supply chain foul-ups caused by the Covid epidemic, an act of God rendered worse by comic-opera mismanagement under President Donald Trump.
—Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 30 June 2023
Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 15 Feb. 2026
These people are aiming to foul up the central database.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for foul-up
Noun
That foul-up then gets included in the series of questions and answers, causing the final answer to go askew.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 7 Sep. 2024
Rather, inflation had arisen from supply chain foul-ups caused by the Covid epidemic, an act of God rendered worse by comic-opera mismanagement under President Donald Trump.
—Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 30 June 2023
Verb
Karaban almost had a costly turnover on an inbound play with 14 seconds left, but the Huskies fouled up three and Mulready split his free throw attempts, setting up the game-clinching freebies from the Huskies’ captain.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 15 Feb. 2026
These people are aiming to foul up the central database.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for foul-up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foul-up
Noun
-
Kreider made no mistake hammering the puck past Hart from the low slot.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
9 May 2026
-
That will also be a huge difference from the Orbán regime, when there was no responsibility or consequences of any crime, any political mistake.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
But Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace hit three-pointers while Smart was fumbling the ball and James and Hachimura were missing shots, while an Oklahoma City 8-0 run eventually gave them another 13-point lead that was never again challenged.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
-
As print and television media fumbled their way online, Gawker used the internet to pull back the curtain on celebrity, mainstream media, politics and creeping commercialism.—
Frank DiGiacomo,
HollywoodReporter,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Because Hathaway was penalized for tripping Elmer Soderblom and and roughing Malkin, in addition to Konecny's roughing minor, Pittsburgh received a power-play.—
Garrett Behanna,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Space heaters provided heat, but the sloths were kept in the cold for at least one night after a fuse tripped.—
Ryan Brennan
April 27,
Kansas City Star,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The reason for this is because a strong energy is building up before tomorrow’s Full Moon, which can distract you or cause mix-ups in communications and transportation.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The mix-up quickly turned what was meant to be a romantic gesture into a hilarious moment.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The music is eclectic and often gorgeous, the emotional intensity still capable of blowing all else away.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
-
One person is dead and another is seriously injured following a crash on Sunday in Greenwich where police said a driver was allegedly going about double the speed limit and had blown through a red light before crashing into a utility pole.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
The mood in Venice is still borderline ecstatic, full of gossip, parties, and people chatting about art in their respective cities, trading business cards, discovering new talent, eating, drinking, and stumbling around, running into old friends.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
8 May 2026
-
South Africa has stumbled into a classic policy trap.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Little ones who came out of the casket viewing with their parents wore expressions of confusion and shock after witnessing eight bodies that didn’t look so different from their own.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
10 May 2026
-
Online reactions to the incident ranged from confusion to humor.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
The two screwed up a tilt-a-whirl spot, but Breakker made up for it with a standing moonsault.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2026
-
One of the puzzles was constructing a dance that was simple enough to believe anyone could do it, yet tricky enough for DJ to screw up in multiple ways.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Foul-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foul-up. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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