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
-
How did the world’s two largest economies stumble toward a trade war that neither truly seeks and which the rest of the world can’t afford?—
Zongyuan Zoe Liu,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Apr. 2025
-
In 1857, Sam stumbled into the job that would shape his identity.—
Lauren Michele Jackson,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Later in the first period, Theodore fumbled the puck into the skates of his teammate, Hertl, on their way out of the defensive zone, and Foligno added to Minnesota’s lead.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2025
-
Every moment spent fumbling with gear in those temperatures came at a cost—to fingers, batteries, and hard drives alike.—
Tony Bradley,
Forbes.com,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Declan Rice tripped him from behind to earn a yellow card.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2025
-
For the listener, the journey is both thrilling and desultory, like hanging out sober while your friend trips on mushrooms.—
Carrie Brownstein,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
However, the impending free agent had an 11.25 ERA, two losses and one blown save over 10 games entering Monday.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2025
-
Vindman and his twin brother, Alex, both blew the whistle on Trump’s attempt to withhold military aid to Ukraine while pressuring the country’s leader to investigate the family of President Joe Biden.—
Andy Kroll,
ProPublica,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Eventually the aliens will slip up and do something unhuman a little too nonchalantly.—
Bluesky Social,
Bluesky Social,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Anyone can slip up for a second, which costs the other two the match.—
Lauren Coates,
Variety,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
This was a problem that Microsoft made exponentially worse by screwing up the Recall rollout so badly in the first place.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
21 Apr. 2025
-
The administration won't admit it, but this was a screw up.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
27 Apr. 2025
-
There is nothing that can ruin trying to sleep through a redeye like the sunrise hitting your face.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
But Paige has been there, injuries fouling up her career, too.—
John Nogowski,
Hartford Courant,
25 Mar. 2025
-
This brings back the Bilas comment from long ago on fouling up two.—
Joe Rexrode,
The Athletic,
24 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Louse up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/louse%20up. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share