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
Relevance
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
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.
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
-
Things do get more interesting when Mia stumbles upon an improbable house in the middle of the woods, occupied by a witchy old lady (Robin Bartlett).—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
13 Oct. 2025
-
With upsets keeping divisional races entertaining, Week 6 offers a chance for several surprise teams to solidify their place among the contenders, and for stumbling powerhouses to stop their slides before things get out of hand.—
J.J. Bailey,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
After successfully bluffing his way into the house, Tom fumbles an attempt to hide his reasons for being there, leading Robbie to take him hostage.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Tagovailoa has thrown 22 interceptions and fumbled 13 times in those 21 games — only three of the 13 were recovered by the other team —-- and the Dolphins are 8-13 during that stretch.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
If one or the other is tripped, turn that back on and test again.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
17 Oct. 2025
-
More Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images Democrats seem to be unable to avoid tripping all over themselves.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Commanders blew a late-fourth-quarter lead and turned the ball over three times before losing to the Bears on a last-second field goal.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Sloppy passes, stagnant offense, blown defensive assignments, poor decisions.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
There are plenty of teams that slip up against opponents like Minnesota (much like James Franklin and Penn State did against UCLA on Saturday), but that doesn’t happen for Day.—
Cameron Teague Robinson,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Even the pros slip up every now and then.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Managers can either screw up or screw up slightly less than the other guy.—
Grant Brisbee,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
-
In a world of near-constant conference realignment and the transfer portal, the annual Red River Rivalry game at the State Fair of Texas is one of the few things the sport hasn’t screwed up.—
Jim Barnes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Back in January, Preston remembered filming My Best Friend’s Wedding — and how an iconic scene ruined crab and lobster for her.—
Victoria Edel,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Packages of flying tortillas thrown at the wrong time, or pocket knives, would only hurt a reputation that Texas Tech has worked doggedly to change and show that the Red Raiders are at home on a national stage, and not the crazy drunk uncle ruining a holiday.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Also, if Utah or Miami were to score an upset in the opening round, St. Louis would have first dibs at taking that team instead of Orlando, which would foul up these predictions completely.—
Todd Boss,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Louse up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/louse%20up. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share