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)
Verb
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And what about the scene when Mac has locked Bull in the room, which is flooding with water, until James [Osian Emlyn] stumbles across him and lets him out?—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
27 Feb. 2026 -
Violet stumbles upon Sophie in the parlor, searching desperately for her necklace.—
Christina Grace Tucker,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Sonny feels like a departure; unlike Bernthal’s mercenaries, Sonny fumbles with his gun, has a bleeding heart, and lays his vulnerabilities bare.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
24 Feb. 2026
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The Seahawks are a high-turnover team on both sides of the ball, but the 49ers have forced just two takeaways in the season series — both fumbles in the opener.—
Michael Nowels,
Mercury News,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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What trips the censor, and what does not?—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
28 Feb. 2026
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Boat trips with the hotel’s fleet of luxury liners or a heli ride take you island-hopping to Hydra and Spetses.—
Jemima Sissons,
Condé Nast Traveler,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And the wind that crosses Montezuma Mesa blows into the faces of the divers.—
Bill Center,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
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In all, eight of the 28 shows lost a performance (many productions are dark on Sunday nights anyway), and most took significant box office blows.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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That’s true at the end of the film but not at the beginning, when Jason dons the mask and murders his film professor.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2026
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Her unscrupulous, power-hungry uncle Claudius (Kôji Yakusho) murders his own brother to become king.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Dominic Zvada boots a 31-yard field goal to give the Wolverines the lead.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
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There’s, in fact, a lot of narrative chaos in the movie’s last third, from a pyramid scheme that ruins Junyang’s professional ego to the fact that Lydia, once she’s given birth, is basically cut out of the picture.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
16 Feb. 2026
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When fans see an exciting big hit, thinking about how the players might not know their own family members in 30 years ruins the fun.—
Eleanor M. Perfetto,
STAT,
7 Feb. 2026
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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 5 Mar. 2026.
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