GOOF (UP) Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

goof (up)

verb

Definition of goof (up)

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

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

Specifically, Nico Iamaleava struggled, fumbling once and throwing interceptions to Oregon’s Koi Perich and Jerry Mixon.

— Elias Esquivel, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
Irving scored his second touchdown of the game to further the Bucs’ lead, and Prescott wouldn’t even get the ball back after KaVontae Turpin fumbled the ensuing kickoff, which Tampa Bay recovered.

— Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of fumble

Verb

But the administration blew past a Sunday evening deadline and ran two of the ads into the early hours of Monday, advertising data from AdImpact shows.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
The Commanders scored a touchdown two minutes into the game and never trailed, yet still blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead.

— Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of blow

Verb

In overtime, the Golden Knights quickly took advantage of a tripping penalty on Kings center Scott Laughton.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
Behar, who dislocated the shoulder after catching her heel and tripping last week at The View‘s ABC studio building in New York, is expected to return to the show next week.

— Greg Evans, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of trip

Verb

On Monday, workers hauled out a 200-pound piece of equipment that was ruined by the saltwater and sand carried in on the high tides.

— Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026
So our goal is to learn how to maximize AI budgets, not ration them and ruin productivity gains.

— Konstantin Klyagin, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of ruin

Verb

The Iberians slipped up big time in their first match of the tournament, being shocked by Switzerland 1-0, bringing back ghosts of tournament failures past for Spanish fans.

— Patrick Sung Cuadrado, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
But for taxpayers with a solid compliance history who slip up once, automatically applying relief—instead of reserving it for those who know to ask—is a welcome change.

— Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026

Definition of slip up

Verb

Then police closed that, too — at midafternoon Tuesday after a report of a suspicious package — fouling up traffic for New Yorkers even more.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
In the end, though, neither an explosion nor a giant spill of fluid that could foul up waterways and the ocean occurred.

— Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026

Definition of foul up

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

goofs (up)

goof (up)

goofy

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Style

“Goof (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goof%20%28up%29. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of goof (up)

verb

Example Sentences

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