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
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 5 Feb. 2026
The funding lapse led to delayed or suspended economic data, wreaked havoc at airports as flights were canceled due to air traffic controller shortages and fouled up the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
—Fred Imbert, CNBC, 13 Nov. 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
These people are aiming to foul up the central database.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 5 Feb. 2026
The funding lapse led to delayed or suspended economic data, wreaked havoc at airports as flights were canceled due to air traffic controller shortages and fouled up the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
—Fred Imbert, CNBC, 13 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foul-up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foul-up
Noun
-
And it's allowed for a lot of mistakes.—
Alex Crippen,
CNBC,
11 Apr. 2026
-
In some cases, that décor mistake can inadvertently make a space feel cluttered.—
Wendy Rose Gould,
Martha Stewart,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In the 88th minute, Neuer fumbled a routine shot and allowed Joselu to equalise.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Fans were exiting en masse in the top of the ninth when Frelick’s RBI single off Rule 5 rookie Ryan Watson, fumbled by reigning AL Gold Glove centerfielder Ceddanne Rafaela, increased Milwaukee’s lead to three.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Adebayo took his hard fall when tripped by the hand of Ball while saving the ball from going out of bounds beneath the Heat basket with the Heat down 28-26.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Haight was almost immediately whistled for tripping, but Minnesota’s penalty killers produced a 2-on-1 break and a two-goal lead when McCarron beat Hofer with a wrist shot after a set-up pass from Foligno.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In the liver mix-up, Life Alliance fixed the mistake, notified the transplant center, and the transplant was successful, according to the report.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
13 Apr. 2026
-
In addition to Reynolds’ gaffe, the Pirates cost themselves a prime scoring opportunity with a mix-up on the bases in the second inning.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Coachella livestream camera showed Hailey in the audience, blowing a kiss to her husband on stage as the crowd erupted in cheers.—
Becca Longmire,
PEOPLE,
14 Apr. 2026
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Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The show follows Nicky (Levy) and Morgan Dardano (Taylor Ortega), a pastor-and-teacher sibling duo from New Jersey who stumble into organized crime after Morgan steals a necklace from a postal store to bury with their dying grandmother.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
11 Apr. 2026
-
When a character speaks English, an accent is employed and the manner is often a bit stumbling.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
My reaction was pure confusion, sarcasm, and not ill-intended.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Be careful about your intentions today because an element of confusion (plus the ability to kid yourself) might get you in hot water.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
These days, revivals that just manage to come and go without screwing up are seen as, if not a success, than an acceptable effort.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
10 Apr. 2026
-
But what really screws up Julia are the deliveries.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Foul-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foul-up. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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