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
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Although the discovery has only now been formally studied, cavers from the Czech Speleological Society first stumbled upon the phenomenon in 2022 during an expedition in Vromoner Canyon.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
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Uber reported strong growth in its third-quarter earnings report on Wednesday, but stumbled on the bottom line after absorbing a $479 million charge for what the company described as undisclosed legal and regulatory matters.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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After taking an early 3-0 lead and forcing the Ravens to punt on their opening series, Tahj Washington fumbled after a catch and Baltimore’s Alohi Gilman scooped it up and returned it to Miami’s 7, setting up Jackson’s first touchdown pass to Mark Andrews.—
Andre Fernandez,
Miami Herald,
31 Oct. 2025
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In Week 2, McCarthy played poorly, throwing two interceptions and fumbling three times.—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In between all of that, a botched tripping call early in the second quarter took a huge pass play off the board for Miami, which would have gotten the Dolphins inside Baltimore’s 10-yard line.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
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McDaniel was blunt about his view of the tripping call against Ollie Gordon that negated a long completion to Jaylen Waddle.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The crowd at the Rogers Centre nearly blew the roof off the place as Bichette jogged around the bases.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
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That team pulled off this same trick, blowing the doors off all comers until slipping past USC.—
Pete Sampson,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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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
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Even the pros slip up every now and then.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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After screwing up his job interview, Anders tries to see his sister, who’s been burned by him one too many times and sends her girlfriend to run interference.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
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What all happens that screws up everything?—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That’s why his mistress threw in with Frank to intimidate Dale into a land deal that would have ruined any chance of Chutto’s family ever getting their land back.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
5 Nov. 2025
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Because when those premiums go up by 100, 200%, people’s lives are ruined.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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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
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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 6 Nov. 2025.
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