1
as in to fumble
to make a mistake
we must have goofed up somewhere, because this cake clearly didn't turn out right
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to blow
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
he goofed up his first sale at the dealership
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for goof (up)
Verb
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Facial recognition can help reduce wait times, eliminate the hassle of fumbling with documents and free up staff to focus on higher-value service.—
Jeff Kim,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025 -
In the first quarter, he was sacked on third-and-7 and fumbled the ball.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The Cleveland Browns blew both a golden opportunity at what would’ve been the surprise upset of Week 1 and a chance to add to the Cincinnati Bengals’ early-season misery of the past few years.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Finn simply tripped in an environment that was not set up to be safe for him.—
Bridget Fogarty,
jsonline.com,
5 Sep. 2025
-
With no cords to trip over, cleaning will feel a lot less like a juggling act.—
Toni Sutton,
People.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Closer Bryan Abreu stumbled but has earned the benefit of the doubt with the dominance he’s displayed.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Exposure to harmful content is another risk as studies show that teens are more likely than adults to stumble upon self-harm imagery or extremist propaganda.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Evolve scenarios as markets do—launch a competitor's product, increase taxes, screw up a promotion, win an award...—
David Mahbub,
Forbes.com,
19 Aug. 2025
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Also, the slots are spaced perfectly to match the screw holes on the bottom of a 2.5-inch drive, and the slots are long enough to screw up to three of those drives here.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Many of us slip up from time to time, especially when we're overwhelmed by a sink full of dishes.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
2 Sep. 2025
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The main components have measurement indicators so there’s no chance of slipping up, and the parts can all nest inside the large container for easy storage when you’re done drinking your coffee.—
Mark Marino,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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To avoid the busiest times, try to visit the wall and the main church ruins early in the morning or later in the afternoon when most tour groups have moved on.—
David Nikel,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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Helene cost him less than 10 percent of that collection, thousands of seeds ruined when his freezers lost power and frost melted.—
Lila Hempel-Edgers,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Also, if Utah or Miami were to score an upset in the opening round, St. Louis would have first dibs at taking that team instead of Orlando, which would foul up these predictions completely.—
Todd Boss,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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Year-long court battles have been waged over exactly how clean the water in the Everglades has to be without fouling up the whole system.—
Alex Harris
July 3,
Miami Herald,
3 July 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Goof (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goof%20%28up%29. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
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