1
as in fumbling
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 stumbling
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 fouling up
Verb
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Trump said, fumbling for words.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 June 2026 -
But then again, neither is the Bears fumbling and bumbling.—
Jon Greenberg,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Bryan’s stumbling responses, under questioning from the legendary defense lawyer Clarence Darrow, left him humiliated.—
Michael Luo,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
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The Grimm Brothers fairy tale follows a pair of famished siblings who get lost in the woods and entrapped by a child-eating witch, after stumbling upon her cottage made of candy.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
Verb
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Myers nails the realistic teen who is a far cry from the unflappable Nancy Drew, screwing up plenty and often terrified of what she's gotten herself into.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 May 2026
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First of all, don’t hide misdeeds and screwups, which comes naturally by not committing misdeeds and not screwing up.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Arsenal are firmly in title-chasing mode and goal difference could still prove crucial, despite Manchester City slipping up against Everton on Monday.—
Abdul Rehman,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
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But knowing Olson’s proclivity for slipping up in hysterical fashion made the match that much more appealing.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Michael Kleinman, a toxicologist and professor at UC Irvine’s Wen School of Population and Public Health, said the zone from the smoke is very dependent on how fast the wind is blowing and in what direction.—
Hayley Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
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Jo Adell and Donovan Walton each had three hits as the Angels bounced back after blowing a late seven-run lead in the series opener Friday.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
Verb
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Australia's Alessandro Circati was given a yellow card after tripping USA's Malik Tillman on the field.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
20 June 2026
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The ban prohibits any item that could obstruct lifeguard views, overcrowd the beach, create tripping hazards, or hinder emergency responders.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
18 June 2026
Verb
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Amid the memory shortage that's mucking up component prices globally, at least Qualcomm has some promising news for folks hoping to pay less for a daily driver.—
Florence Ion,
PC Magazine,
7 May 2026
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At least not Will Welch, GQ’s longstanding editor-in-chief and global editorial director, who was absolutely zen about the threat of an atmospheric river mucking up the mag’s Men of the Year celebration last night.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Nov. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Fouling up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fouling%20up. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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