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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Coleman fumbled away his first catch in that game, at Buffalo’s 10-yard line, gifting New England a free field goal in a three-point game.—
Tim Graham,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025 -
Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels fumbled a handoff late in the fourth quarter and allowed the Bears’ defense to recover.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After a drunken night out at Big Belly Burger, Chris and Harcourt stumbled onto a rock cruise fronted by hard rock duo Nelson and ended up sharing a dance and a kiss.—
Scott Meslow,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
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Upon landing in London, the two friends looked for something to eat near their hotel in King's Cross, and stumbled upon restaurant Indian Lounge—which had over 11,000 Google reviews.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But then a ref blew the whistle as the buzzer sounded, giving Duke two meaningless free throws while up by four.—
Paul Solotaroff,
Rolling Stone,
12 Oct. 2025
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The two shared a playful moment, dancing together before Charli slipped her sunglasses onto Role Model’s face, blew him a kiss, and made her exit.—
Mitchell Peters,
Billboard,
12 Oct. 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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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
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How do things get so screwed up?—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The boy stopped the chase after the child tripped, the other boy told deputies, according to the sheriff’s office.—
Julia Marnin,
Miami Herald,
10 Oct. 2025
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And Anand pointed out that the government similarly warned about crippling lawsuits when the Supreme Court, in 2006, considered a case brought by a woman who tripped over mail left on her porch.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Most American women who deal with domestic violence and are murdered, are murdered by their intimate partner.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Oct. 2025
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The Sandy Hook massacre, in which 26 people were murdered, including 20 children, generated new debate over gun violence legislation, but Congress took no action.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
14 Oct. 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 17 Oct. 2025.
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