goof (up)

verb

Definition of goof (up)next
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)
  1. fumble
  2. blow
  3. trip
  4. screw up
  5. stumble
  6. ruin
  7. slip up
  8. foul up
Verb
  • Three plays later, Austin Simmons hit Cayden Lee, who got blasted by a Longhorn defender and fumbled to set up the game-sealing Texas TD.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 8 Nov. 2026
  • And four plays after Browne fumbled at his own 2, Washington scored on 1 -yard plunge.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of fumble
Verb
  • The Jets blew a nine-point halftime lead and wasted a 33-point afternoon against a Raiders team that had lost four straight.
    — Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 7 Nov. 2026
  • As the final whistle blew at CPKC Stadium, signaling victory for the Kansas City Current in a Saturday playoff match, a release of joy swept across the field.
    — Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of blow
Verb
  • On this day in 1922, according to the popular account, a boy tripped on a stone and kicked off one of the greatest archaeological finds in history.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Without adequate calf muscle strength, the calf muscles can fatigue quickly, leading to foot dragging or tripping.
    — Kristen Gasnick, Verywell Health, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of trip
Verb
  • To make matters worse, Alex screws up again when Kerry, Fraser, and Kaylee leave with the guests for an excursion at the elephant sanctuary.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2026
  • New York landing Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker — who has emerged as the draft’s top quarterback prospect — would be a painful blow to Miami, though the Jets have a long tradition of screwing up young QBs.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of screw up
Verb
  • The last chance for the Mountaineers ended when Hawkins stumbled and fell in the end zone for a safety in the final two minutes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Nov. 2026
  • For seven games, Myles Garrett could only watch the Rams from a stadium suite, on television or from the sideline as the team favored to win the Super Bowl stumbled to a slow start.
    — Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of stumble
Verb
  • The tumult of these raids, which played out daily on TV and social media, ruined lives and hurt local economies.
    — Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 9 Nov. 2026
  • Season is far from over The good news is, unlike Miami’s historic 1988 loss in South Bend, this loss does not ruin the Hurricanes’ chances to win a national title.
    — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of ruin
Verb
  • The Longhorns calmed the waters in Austin with their win over Mississippi and won’t slip up against a spiraling Bulldogs team that lost QB Kamario Taylor for the season.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Miami did a relatively fine job in Weeks 2 and 3 against some of the most talented backs in Christian McCaffrey of the 49ers and Kenneth Walker of the Chiefs but slipped up the two games prior to the bye against the Vikings and Bengals.
    — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 22 Oct. 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
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Goof (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goof%20%28up%29. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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