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
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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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When the first part of season four ends with Benedict fumbling through a disastrous proposal that Sophie become his mistress, Ha does not crumple or explode in fury.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2026 -
Cornell fumbled with Mercader’s clothing, trying to find them.—
Josh Ireland,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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After blowing a three-run lead, Harvard-Westlake still came out on top with a 4-3 victory over Huntington Beach on Tuesday when Ethan Price delivered a walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth inning.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
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Since that point, the price of the precious metal has blown past $5,000, set several new all-time highs and handed investors more than 100% returns in a single year.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Raiders’ good fortunes went south as the referee called two controversial penalty kicks for tripping, and Ricky Kase converted — one in the 32nd minute and the other in the 64th — allowing the Seahawks to tie the game.—
Gary Curreri,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Mar. 2026
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The goal was ill-gotten, as the officials missed Perfetti tripping Mason McTavish, a play that led directly to the scoring sequence.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar stumbled, springing a 2-on-1 break with Boldy feeding a cross-ice pass to Marcus Johansson, whose wrist shot hit the left post, then got a piece of the goalie before a Colorado defender swatted it away from the goalmouth.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
27 Feb. 2026
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Surveillance video from that night shows a man wearing a Blackhawks jersey entering the store, then stumbling out before a struggle spilled into the street.—
Darius Johnson,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Kyle tries to jump up the wall, lands awkwardly, and screws up his ankle.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
-
That might be kind of screwed up.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Or will someone slip up and cost them the game?—
Dina Kaur,
AZCentral.com,
19 Feb. 2026
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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,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
1 Mar. 2026
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Cops say the $89 pair of boots were ruined.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Karaban almost had a costly turnover on an inbound play with 14 seconds left, but the Huskies fouled up three and Mulready split his free throw attempts, setting up the game-clinching freebies from the Huskies’ captain.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
15 Feb. 2026
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These people are aiming to foul up the central database.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
5 Feb. 2026
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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 5 Mar. 2026.
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