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goofed (up)

verb

past tense of goof (up)
1
as in fumbled
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 buggered (up)
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 goofed (up)
  1. fumbled
  2. blew
  3. stumbled
  4. screwed up
  5. tripped
  6. dubbed
  7. slipped up
Verb
  • The rookie tight end caught seven passes for 105 yards and a touchdown in his first career start Sunday, even as the Lions beat the Jets, 31-24, after Geno Smith fumbled with seconds remaining.
    — Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The Ravens' defense came up big in the third quarter, forcing a Cowboys turnover when Ferguson fumbled a shovel pass from Prescott.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of fumbled
Verb
  • The defense ranked last in MLB with -58 outs above average, and All-Star closer Andrés Muñoz blew 10 saves.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Washington blew 42 saves, an MLB record, and had a number of other heartbreaking losses.
    — Danielle Allentuck, Washington Post, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of blew
Verb
  • But like their European counterparts, American incumbents in the automobile and space industries have also stumbled.
    — Andrew McAfee, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2026
  • For Wilmot, the worst moment occurred when Sleepy stumbled to the edge of a huge chasm in the mine, turned and began to fall backward to his death.
    — Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of stumbled
Verb
  • That doesn’t mean the Yankees screwed up in their process by trading for Stanton.
    — Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Every time a player screwed up, the coaching staff and his teammates received a text message, calling out both the infraction and the guilty party.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of screwed up
Verb
  • Since then, price has completely round-tripped the move, giving back the entire post-earnings gap and settling back into the mid-$250s.
    — Josh Brown,Sean Russo, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Thomas Maulson alleged a deputy tripped him while handcuffed, causing injuries that required 13 stitches.
    — Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of tripped
Verb
  • Research from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Iowa State University found that this eastward position — dubbed the ENSO Longitudinal Index or ELI — explains west coast rain extremes better than the standard El Niño index.
    — Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 27 Sep. 2026
  • The third project, dubbed Desert-Mulberry, connects silk production with what ITMF described as an eco-regenerative cycle.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of dubbed
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
  • Had Pep Guardiola’s side slipped up at a subdued Etihad, then Arsenal and Mikel Arteta could have won the title with victory over Burnley on Monday.
    — Sam Lee, New York Times, 13 May 2026
Definition of slipped 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

goofed on
goofed (up)
go off
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Goofed (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goofed%20%28up%29. Accessed 30 Sep. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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