goofs (up)

verb

present tense third-person singular of goof (up)
1
as in stumbles
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 fumbles
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 goofs (up)
  1. stumbles
  2. fumbles
  3. trips
  4. blows
  5. slips up
  6. murders
  7. blunders
  8. boots
Verb
  • The horse stumbles, trapping Galadriel underneath as the figure, a ring-wearing nazgnagôl, strides toward her.
    — Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
  • This year, a gaunt, ravenous stranger stumbles out of the dark carrying something that eats its hosts from the inside out.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of stumbles
Verb
  • So the associate who fumbles a membership conversation doesn’t need a lecture.
    — Zaharia-Gabriel Sidere, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • DeLand was driving inside the 20 yard line and Taihj Moore fumbles, recovered by Lake Mary.
    — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of fumbles
Verb
  • Off property but on land, the hotel can help arrange zip-lining, an aerial tram ride, trips into town with stops at museums or for shopping and meals, and more.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Nov. 2026
  • This effectively reduces the Platinum status requirement to 130,000 TQPs and makes earning unlimited Companion Pass trips a bit easier.
    — Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of trips
Verb
  • The war in Iran, high gas prices, the stubbornly high cost of living, and blows to Trump’s popularity all contributed against the Republicans.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2026
  • As Paladin drives off, contract finally fulfilled, an estate guard with a rocket launcher blows his murder-van into flaming wreckage.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of blows
Verb
  • At Baku, however, the car looks to be a podium contender, potentially fighting for the win if McLaren slips up.
    — Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Along the way Texas needs to hope Seattle slips up, or else that final weekend in Cleveland could wind up being meaningless.
    — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 14 Sep. 2025
Definition of slips up
Verb
  • This included three of the women involved in the brutal Manson murders — Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel, and Leslie Van Houten — all scheduled to be gassed.
    — M. Sara Rosenthal, STAT, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Joe almost murders Morgan (Sherry and Morgan in the same episode?
    — Alice Burton, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of murders
Verb
  • And then Ron somehow blunders his way into getting the number jacked up to $100,000 in return for their silence.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 14 Mar. 2026
Definition of blunders
Verb
  • Back at the hotel, Vision boots up his head-laser when Paladin’s drone approaches.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Olise always takes it and boots the ball straight out of play.
    — Stuart James, New York Times, 14 July 2026
Definition of boots
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 on
goofs (up)
goof (up)
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Cite this Entry

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

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