1
as in to stumble
to make a mistake
everything is riding on this project, so we can't afford to louse up
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to fumble
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
I loused up the wallpapering job in the bedroom—the seams show too much
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of louse up
Which is to say that America’s most prominent vaccine skeptic could have the power to upend, derail, or otherwise louse up a cornerstone of public health.
—
Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 20 Nov. 2024
Conversely, one of the easiest ways to louse up a team on draft day is to load up a team with players who aren’t going to produce at a level commensurate with when they were drafted.
—Gary Davenport, The Athletic, 5 Aug. 2024
Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 20 Nov. 2024
Conversely, one of the easiest ways to louse up a team on draft day is to load up a team with players who aren’t going to produce at a level commensurate with when they were drafted.
—Gary Davenport, The Athletic, 5 Aug. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for louse up
Verb
-
Hegseth, a former Fox TV host who has stumbled through several controversies during his six months in office, sat silently next to Trump without volunteering any information about the decision that apparently came on his watch.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
9 July 2025
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Rather than that 30-start mark serving as a jumping off point for each pitcher to take the next step in their careers, each has stumbled in their own way this year.—
Jen McCaffrey,
New York Times,
8 July 2025
Verb
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But then Superman lost flight and Warners fumbled the lucrative Reeve franchise greatly.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
8 July 2025
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Ferguson couldn't find the end zone once, and even fumbled the ball four times, after preventing fumbles entirely during his first two seasons in the league.—
Justin Grasso,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
Verb
-
With no direct service, plane trips back to the U.S. can take upwards of 19 hours.—
William P. Barrett,
Forbes.com,
19 July 2025
-
Filmmakers clearly constructed all these scenes, a fact that neither trips our ethical wires nor stops our biological reactions.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
16 July 2025
Verb
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Some of the clips have also already begun to go viral including one of Chase’s gazelle-like movement and another of Hill blowing by Smith-Njigba in coverage.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
10 July 2025
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
10 July 2025
Verb
-
A week ago, the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry slipped up from the coast of Mexico, drawing moisture from the Gulf, then collided with another system and inundated rivers and creeks in hilly south central Texas.—
Jennifer Berry Hawes,
ProPublica,
11 July 2025
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Bayern slipped up with a 1-1 draw against Valerenga in week four to make Arsenal’s task a little easier.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
2 July 2025
Verb
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With Joe Maddon as his manager for the first half of his career, Hendricks was provided room to screw up — messing around with his mechanics and pitch arsenal — to become a top-end starting pitcher who helped the Chicago Cubs claim the 2016 World Series.—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
1 July 2025
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Why are investors so calm in a world filled with war and chaos? Because Iran’s options in terms of screwing up the oil market are actually quite limited.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
23 June 2025
Verb
-
Now a wonderful memory of the occasion will be ruined in my memories.—
Eric Thomas,
Sun Sentinel,
9 July 2025
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The ceiling was now on the floor, the world had turned itself upside down, her outfit and her day and her rug were seemingly ruined—and yet she herself was not hurt.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 July 2025
Verb
-
Year-long court battles have been waged over exactly how clean the water in the Everglades has to be without fouling up the whole system.—
Alex Harris
July 3,
Miami Herald,
3 July 2025
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His idea is included in the tweet below: By adopting this policy, the league would immediately change the calculations that come with fouling up three.—
Mat Issa,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Louse up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/louse%20up. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.
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