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
Relevance
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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In 1972, Hannes (Enzo Brumm), a gangly farm boy adrift in a hedonistic haze of hormones and counterculture, stumbles upon a revelation through his contact with a love interest’s geranium.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
4 Mar. 2026 -
The woman continues to scream as Jones stumbles in the street and Charles asks him multiple more times to drop the knife.—
Kellie Love,
Hartford Courant,
3 Mar. 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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That's honestly great news for tailors and anyone who regularly trips over their own feet.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
7 Mar. 2026
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Greg trips in the middle of class and uses another student’s breasts to break his fall.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The final whistle blows at Miami Stadium, yet the adrenaline is still high.—
Taylor Haught,
Miami Herald,
5 Mar. 2026
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Pay special attention to soil moisture when the wind blows.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
5 Mar. 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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For more history, the Maya ruins all over the area never fail to surprise, but Tulum remains singular with the only major Mayan site built dramatically atop seaside cliff.—
Gina Góngora,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Mar. 2026
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In games that matter, one bad inning — one weak link on the chain — ruins a whole game.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
5 Mar. 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 12 Mar. 2026.
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