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
Many have faulted Cuba’s Stalinist bureaucratic centralization, but few critiques are as replete with concrete examples of foolishness and foul-ups.
—Richard Feinberg, Foreign Affairs, 1 Jan. 2012
John Nogowski, Hartford Courant, 25 Mar. 2025
This brings back the Bilas comment from long ago on fouling up two.
—Joe Rexrode, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 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
Many have faulted Cuba’s Stalinist bureaucratic centralization, but few critiques are as replete with concrete examples of foolishness and foul-ups.
—Richard Feinberg, Foreign Affairs, 1 Jan. 2012
Verb
But Paige has been there, injuries fouling up her career, too.
—John Nogowski, Hartford Courant, 25 Mar. 2025
This brings back the Bilas comment from long ago on fouling up two.
—Joe Rexrode, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foul-up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foul-up
Noun
-
Read on for some of the most common nutrition mistakes sports dietitians see that wreak havoc on people’s workouts—plus what to do instead.—
Jenny McCoy,
SELF,
9 July 2025
-
Investors who do not use the tool risk making major mistakes.—
Steve Denning,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
Verb
-
Marketing gets the lead, but operations fumbles the conversion.—
Michael Fox,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
-
In-ho began fumbling, accidentally letting go of the top and flinging it backwards.—
Esther Kang,
People.com,
26 June 2025
Verb
-
The Wall Street Journal wrote about how the robots are getting flipped over, stuck in snow piles and some students have been found to sit on them, or trip over them, when drinking.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 July 2025
-
An employee at a Pyro Spectaculars, Inc. warehouse tripped and dropped a combustible shell.—
Calista Oetama
July 3,
Sacbee.com,
3 July 2025
Noun
-
Despite the expert skepticism, TikTok users couldn't get enough of the mix-up.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 July 2025
-
However, Vance’s spokesperson said the mix-up was an innocent mistake.—
Ashleigh Fields,
The Hill,
21 June 2025
Verb
-
Some of the clips have also already begun to go viral including one of Chase’s gazelle-like movement and another of Hill blowing by Smith-Njigba in coverage.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
10 July 2025
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
10 July 2025
Verb
-
Hegseth, a former Fox TV host who has stumbled through several controversies during his six months in office, sat silently next to Trump without volunteering any information about the decision that apparently came on his watch.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
9 July 2025
-
Austin Neudecker, Weave Growth YES: Robot couriers may stumble today, but over a longer horizon, their spread feels inevitable.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
That means naming the fear, the confusion and even the shame that might arise.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
That temptation, rich in moral confusion, runs through Leonardland, onscreen as on the page.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
Verb
-
With Joe Maddon as his manager for the first half of his career, Hendricks was provided room to screw up — messing around with his mechanics and pitch arsenal — to become a top-end starting pitcher who helped the Chicago Cubs claim the 2016 World Series.—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
1 July 2025
-
Why are investors so calm in a world filled with war and chaos? Because Iran’s options in terms of screwing up the oil market are actually quite limited.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
23 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Foul-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foul-up. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
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