1
as in stumbles
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 fumbles
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for louses up
Verb
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The first robot stumbles on aluminum debris, its wheels furiously trying to get traction and move around the obstacle.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026 -
Roher and co-writer Robert Ramsay craft a classically structured screenplay about a talented piano tuner who stumbles into a life of crime, upon which Roher, editor Greg O’Bryant, and composer Will Bates embroider jazzy rhythms and inflections, inspired by the musical world our characters inhabit.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Tensions between the galley and the interior continue to escalate over lunch service, when a radio mishap fumbles the order in which the food should go out.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
26 May 2026
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The movie fumbles the chance to do something arresting with this seminal period in art.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
12 May 2026
Verb
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The appeal stems from a 2021 lawsuit filed by a California man who argued that the ad features young children, even though some of the proceeds are directed toward programs that fund Israel trips for older teens.—
Francie Ebert,
NBC news,
6 June 2026
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Brown has four championships as an assistant and seven Finals trips overall.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
1 June 2026
Verb
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As with other members of the poplar family such as quaking aspen, the part of the tree that attaches the leaf to the branch is several inches long, causing leaves to flap rapidly from side to side when the wind blows.—
Sheryl DeVore,
Chicago Tribune,
10 June 2026
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This doesn’t work for Alice, however, who goes from disbelief to sabotage to an act of betrayal whose wreckage spills out over the series and blows back on her.—
Robert Lloyd,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
Verb
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At Baku, however, the car looks to be a podium contender, potentially fighting for the win if McLaren slips up.—
Nelson Espinal,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
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Along the way Texas needs to hope Seattle slips up, or else that final weekend in Cleveland could wind up being meaningless.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Again, don't wring the suit, which ruins the shape.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
9 June 2026
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Think about it the next time a presidential rant ruins your coffee.—
Steven Andreasen,
Twin Cities,
7 June 2026
Verb
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And then Ron somehow blunders his way into getting the number jacked up to $100,000 in return for their silence.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Dominic Zvada boots a 31-yard field goal to give the Wolverines the lead.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
31 Dec. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Louses up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/louses%20up. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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