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
Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
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
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
Also, if Utah or Miami were to score an upset in the opening round, St. Louis would have first dibs at taking that team instead of Orlando, which would foul up these predictions completely.
—Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for foul-up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foul-up
Noun
-
How many times after making a mistake does Romero ignore tactical instructions and charge up the pitch in desperation to score a goal or wipe out an opponent?—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Having accurate numbers, maintaining receipts and keeping financial books in order will make tax time easier, reduce the likelihood of being audited for a mistake and save as much money as possible.—
Jasmin Suknanan,
CNBC,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The attempt to create a viable and vibrant residential hub arrives after years of neglect and fumbled strategies by the prior owner, an affiliate of real estate firm Z&L Properties.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The Blue Demons’ guard panicked, fumbling the ball, and Fudd read her perfectly.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
If not, now's your chance to grab a calendar and pencil in some time to reconnect as a couple, plan a girls or guys trip, or just escape for a bit from the daily grind of child-rearing and work responsibilities.—
Beth Luberecki,
USA Today,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Don’t trip The holiday season is a reset.—
Jayna Bardahl,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Just last year, the Orlando Sentinel highlighted this systemic vulnerability through the harrowing story of a Georgia woman who unknowingly became a surrogate for another couple’s child after an embryo mix-up.—
Robert Travieso,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Jan. 2026
-
And unfortunately, a mix-up happened.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
After his cover was blown, Pine managed to get Teddy alone to play him secret recordings of Roper revealing that the antagonist never intended to acknowledge Teddy as his legitimate heir.—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Hockey players, however, are team sport Winter Olympians who play professionally in leagues looking to capitalize on the millions of global viewers that might stumble onto the sport over the next two weeks.—
Sara Germano,
Sportico.com,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Dumb luck certainly did favor the bold that night, as Dallas stumbled into Cooper Flagg despite having been a Play-In Tournament team.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The crossing was closed Friday and Saturday because of confusion around operations.—
SAMY MAGDY,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Former Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt felt that there would be confusion over the fact that the Super Bowl itself took place the year after the NFL’s regular-season games.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The climate may get screwed up in new ways as scientists attempt to turn the planet’s temperature dial down.—
Christian Elliott,
The Atlantic,
31 Jan. 2026
-
What Mager is showing here is the difference between kids and adults, the openness and willingness to be bold and confront things head on with matter-of-fact honesty in a world that is being screwed up by their elders and those in charge.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Foul-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foul-up. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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