1
as in fumbled
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
tried not to foul up the football play
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stumbled
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fouled up
Verb
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Henry also fumbled the ball late in the fourth quarter in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Sep. 2025 -
To put that into perspective, Henry fumbled three times on 683 touches from Week 18 of the 2022 season through the end of the 2024 season.—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The teams have stumbled for different reasons.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
25 Sep. 2025
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While another woman stumbled on a leather handbag only to find something incredible inside—a ring with an 18k hallmark and beautiful gemstone.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Blaney, already locked into the Round of 8 with his victory last Sunday at New Hampshire, blew a right-rear tire in practice and crashed into the outside wall.—
Reid Spencer,
Kansas City Star,
28 Sep. 2025
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Scheffler and partner Russell Henley moved along to what would end as a 3&2 defeat, while MacIntyre blew kisses at the crowd.—
Brendan Quinn,
New York Times,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Even the Chargers special teams had slipped up, as returner Derius Davis fumbled a kickoff return in the third quarter that led directly to 3 Broncos points.—
Daniel Popper,
New York Times,
22 Sep. 2025
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And while Conrad was the one who slipped up at the peach orchard in Episode 5, Belly’s the one to blame in Seadon 3, Episode 6.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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At Harris Reed, platform Herman Munster shoes stomped and even tripped on the runway.—
Hanna McNeila,
Footwear News,
23 Sep. 2025
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That's when the man tripped and fell to the ground, dropping the firearm before continuing to flee.—
Noe Padilla,
IndyStar,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Eventually, Christine is murdered and, after a lot of De Palma-esque smoke and mirrors, the killer is revealed to be Isabelle, who manipulated everyone around her into covering up the crime.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them.,
23 Sep. 2025
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The night before he was murdered.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Fouled up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fouled%20up. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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