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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The attempt to create a viable and vibrant residential hub arrives after years of neglect and fumbled strategies by the prior owner, an affiliate of real estate firm Z&L Properties.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026 -
The Blue Demons’ guard panicked, fumbling the ball, and Fudd read her perfectly.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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There was a short pursuit on the freeway, which ended when a tire blew on the SUV.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
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Taubitz remains the one to beat, but after her teammate faltered on her third run, the medal competition was blown open.—
Sean Nevin,
NBC news,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Rory Guilday spent two minutes in the penalty box due to a tripping penalty.—
Isabel Yip,
NBC news,
9 Feb. 2026
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Gueye appeared to trip Reid, who got up and immediately got in the face of Gueye, setting off a scuffle.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Hockey players, however, are team sport Winter Olympians who play professionally in leagues looking to capitalize on the millions of global viewers that might stumble onto the sport over the next two weeks.—
Sara Germano,
Sportico.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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Dumb luck certainly did favor the bold that night, as Dallas stumbled into Cooper Flagg despite having been a Play-In Tournament team.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The climate may get screwed up in new ways as scientists attempt to turn the planet’s temperature dial down.—
Christian Elliott,
The Atlantic,
31 Jan. 2026
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What Mager is showing here is the difference between kids and adults, the openness and willingness to be bold and confront things head on with matter-of-fact honesty in a world that is being screwed up by their elders and those in charge.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Their actions spoke louder than words, even if Shanahan did slip up in the preseason and compare this team to his 2017 squad that didn’t win a game until mid-November.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
18 Jan. 2026
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So, when Mario reconstructed the mess into a back-to-back bowl team, no one expected the athletic director to can him after a 3-9 slip up.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
17 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Romero’s red card for a foul on Casemiro in the 29th minute of Tottenham’s defeat to Manchester United on Saturday ruined Frank’s game plan.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2026
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Applying baking soda to some surfaces or materials could ruin it, scratch it or lose its shine, according to the pros.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The funding lapse led to delayed or suspended economic data, wreaked havoc at airports as flights were canceled due to air traffic controller shortages and fouled up the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.—
Fred Imbert,
CNBC,
13 Nov. 2025
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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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Cite this Entry
“Goof (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goof%20%28up%29. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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