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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But then again, neither is the Bears fumbling and bumbling.—
Jon Greenberg,
New York Times,
2 June 2026 -
Like, for example, calling a risky trick play in South Bend that resulted in wide receiver Makai Lemon fumbling on first-and-10 from the Notre Dame 37-yard line down three points in the fourth quarter.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
25 May 2026
Verb
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For them, a smarter alert can mean the difference between landing ready for a boardroom and stumbling in after an overnight airport stay.—
Gretchen Wittenmyer-Stone,
Miami Herald,
9 June 2026
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Below him, drunken partiers are stumbling back from a day in the unrelenting sun at the MGM Grand’s pool, many of them carrying inflatable tubes, and nearly all in various stages of undress.—
Joseph Hudak,
Rolling Stone,
8 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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Whenever your outfit feels a little plain, these goodies will inject some welcome personality—all without blowing a hole in your budget.—
Jake Henry Smith,
Glamour,
8 June 2026
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Another dramatic scene from West Virginia showed wind blowing a tent across a lawn, and dragging several people along with it, during a college basketball game between West Virginia University and Cal Poly.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
Verb
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Iliman Ndiaye should have conceded a penalty at Molineux for tripping Hugo Bueno while Garner deserved to be sent off at Villa Park.—
Graham Scott,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
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Beauchamp tripping back in time, lost and separated in the highlands of 18th century Scotland.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
1 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 12 Jun. 2026.
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