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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This summer, a Florida man stumbled on a wrecked vessel while fishing with his grandson – possibly a 19th-century ship designed to carry rum.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
8 Oct. 2025
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One day while in City Bowl, a residential neighborhood in Cape Town, Kienle Gonzalez stumbled across a 1920s Arts and Crafts home at the foot of the mountainside.—
Sophia Herring,
Architectural Digest,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Saints, Panthers Arizona somehow turned an interception into a touchdown for their opponent and fumbled away another sure touchdown in a bad, bad loss on Sunday.—
Chad Graff,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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After multiple punts, Keon Coleman, Allen’s trusty wide receiver, uncharacteristically fumbled later in the first quarter as well.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The boy stopped the chase after the child tripped, the other boy told deputies, according to the sheriff’s office.—
Julia Marnin,
Miami Herald,
10 Oct. 2025
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Michkov took a tripping penalty in the game’s first minute in what was his most noticeable moment.—
Kevin Kurz,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But then a ref blew the whistle as the buzzer sounded, giving Duke two meaningless free throws while up by four.—
Paul Solotaroff,
Rolling Stone,
12 Oct. 2025
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The two shared a playful moment, dancing together before Charli slipped her sunglasses onto Role Model’s face, blew him a kiss, and made her exit.—
Mitchell Peters,
Billboard,
12 Oct. 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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How do things get so screwed up?—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
5 Oct. 2025
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The watershed screw up the water quality, screw up all the sediment and cobble that, make the river mouth this amazing series of waves.—
Outside Online,
Outside Online,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Or pursue the rancid criminal element across the galaxy as a bounty hunter, making your fortune by ruining bad guys' lives.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
7 Oct. 2025
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Nothing ruins a trip faster than your suitcase not showing up at baggage claim, right?—
Emily Belfiore,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Oct. 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 14 Oct. 2025.
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