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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If the creditor fumbles the process, then an otherwise valid and collectible debt may be barred.—
Virginia Hammerle,
Dallas Morning News,
8 Mar. 2026 -
Since the first release in December, critics have accused the administration of fumbling the rollout and withholding too many documents.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Mar. 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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Spotting this superconducting dome is often a sign that researchers have stumbled onto the right ingredients for high-temperature superconductivity.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Mar. 2026
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The man then tripped, stumbling to the ground.—
Andrew Adeolu,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And gun-safety groups say that anything that makes the rules more complicated and unclear could really screw up the system.—
Nina Totenberg,
NPR,
2 Mar. 2026
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Kyle tries to jump up the wall, lands awkwardly, and screws up his ankle.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And hope the teams ahead of them slip up.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
28 Feb. 2026
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Or will someone slip up and cost them the game?—
Dina Kaur,
AZCentral.com,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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People suffer and the country becomes ruined.—
Marc Weingarten,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
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Anti-Chafe Stick With sweaty bodies and lots of walking often comes chafing, something that can ruin a day in a theme park faster than a thunderstorm.—
Terri Peters,
Parents,
6 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 9 Mar. 2026.
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