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
Alex Harris
july 3, Miami Herald, 3 July 2025
But Paige has been there, injuries fouling up her career, too.
—John Nogowski, Hartford Courant, 25 Mar. 2025
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
Year-long court battles have been waged over exactly how clean the water in the Everglades has to be without fouling up the whole system.
—Alex Harris
july 3, Miami Herald, 3 July 2025
But Paige has been there, injuries fouling up her career, too.
—John Nogowski, Hartford Courant, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foul-up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foul-up
Noun
-
This helps kids develop a growth mindset—where mistakes are part of learning, not something to fear.—
Lia Miller,
Parents,
20 Oct. 2025
-
The scene where groundskeeper Walter (Marcus Henderson) runs aimlessly across the lawn borders on the ridiculous, but, without getting into spoilers, the only other mistake Peele makes is the film's antagonist.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After successfully bluffing his way into the house, Tom fumbles an attempt to hide his reasons for being there, leading Robbie to take him hostage.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
20 Oct. 2025
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Tagovailoa has thrown 22 interceptions and fumbled 13 times in those 21 games — only three of the 13 were recovered by the other team —-- and the Dolphins are 8-13 during that stretch.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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If one or the other is tripped, turn that back on and test again.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
17 Oct. 2025
-
More Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images Democrats seem to be unable to avoid tripping all over themselves.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The giant impact mix-up The prevailing theory of Earth’s formation posits that roughly 100 million years after the proto-Earth formed, a Mars-sized object slammed into it.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Oct. 2025
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And now everyone's clamoring for changes and mix-ups and quick fixes.—
Nick Suss,
Nashville Tennessean,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Commanders blew a late-fourth-quarter lead and turned the ball over three times before losing to the Bears on a last-second field goal.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Sloppy passes, stagnant offense, blown defensive assignments, poor decisions.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Most people don’t accidentally stumble into building a multimillion-dollar empire.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
22 Oct. 2025
-
The trio stumbles upon a crucial piece of evidence - and promptly compromises it.—
Billie Melissa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The campaign immediately received backlash and prompted confusion from doctors who dismissed its effectiveness.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Rookie Pat Bryant, split out wide, had his hands outstretched in confusion for six full seconds before the ball was actually snapped.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Managers can either screw up or screw up slightly less than the other guy.—
Grant Brisbee,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 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
Cite this Entry
“Foul-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foul-up. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
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