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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Jaylen Wright fumbled on a hit from safety John Saunders Jr.... Grayson Murphy sacked Wilson, who nevertheless threw the ball to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine for a 30 yard TD pass...—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
2 Aug. 2025 -
Playing their third road game in five days, the expansion team nearly fumbled a 17-point, first-half lead but got enough stops down the stretch to escape with a 68-67 win over the Washington Mystics on Thursday.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The foghorn blew every 30 seconds and pelicans sailed above, doing a quick half corkscrew turn before diving.—
Michael Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
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United’s prospective new owner, Michael Knighton, was on the pitch beforehand, ball-juggling and blowing kisses to the crowd, and Neil Webb smashed one in from 25 yards on his debut — wild stuff, honestly (yeah, get on with it, Grandad).—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Kids weren’t tripping over themselves to sit and reach in their free time.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
12 Aug. 2025
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The report, which was obtained by The Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network, said police concluded that Trigg accidentally fell into the pool after tripping and falling on an inflatable chair.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
11 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Indeed, the Braves overcame an early 5-1 deficit in the series opener Tuesday with four runs in the fourth inning to tie the score, only to give it right back on a night when Spencer Strider stumbled, tying a career high with eight runs allowed in four innings.—
David O'Brien,
New York Times,
15 Aug. 2025
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The Wave have been fortunate that Orlando and Washington have also stumbled, keeping the gap small.—
Fernando Ramirez,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Episode 4 flips the script on the trope of a friend screwing up by mouthing off to the wrong person at the worst time.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
6 Aug. 2025
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That’s obviously the most ambitious goal on the table for us, because that whole system is clearly screwed up almost beyond repair unless somebody else comes in and upends it all.—
Frank DiGiacomo,
Billboard,
21 July 2025
Verb
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These injuries have allowed the Dodgers to slip up over the last few weeks, losing more games than anybody expected.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 July 2025
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Meanwhile, champion Swiatek may have played two flawless sets of tennis, but the player was still anxious not to slip up in front of her royal company while Middleton handed her the trophy on Centre Court.—
Isaac Bickerstaff,
Glamour,
21 July 2025
Verb
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Her Altadena home and the surrounding community were ruined by the Eaton wildfires that ripped through Los Angeles in January.—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal,
Parents,
14 Aug. 2025
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However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Don Sweeney,
Miami Herald,
14 Aug. 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 19 Aug. 2025.
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