as in mistake
an instance of confusion
there was a foul-up with our mail order, and not one item arrived as ordered
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to fumble
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
tried not to foul up the football play
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to trip
to make a mistake
unfortunately, I fouled up and in my e-mail gave everyone the wrong date for the meeting
Synonyms & Similar Words
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of foul-up
Lance Eliot, Forbes, 7 Sep. 2024
Many have faulted Cuba’s Stalinist bureaucratic centralization, but few critiques are as replete with concrete examples of foolishness and foul-ups.
—Richard Feinberg, Foreign Affairs, 1 Jan. 2012
Luke Winkie, The Atlantic, 22 July 2021
But a foul up with super formula license points stole that dream away.
—Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 3 May 2021
See all Example Sentences for foul-up 
Noun
That foul-up then gets included in the series of questions and answers, causing the final answer to go askew.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 7 Sep. 2024
Many have faulted Cuba’s Stalinist bureaucratic centralization, but few critiques are as replete with concrete examples of foolishness and foul-ups.
—Richard Feinberg, Foreign Affairs, 1 Jan. 2012
Verb
Those intruders chop down the jungles and foul up the wetlands, as the spirits mount an offensive to drive them off the shorelines.
—Luke Winkie, The Atlantic, 22 July 2021
But a foul up with super formula license points stole that dream away.
—Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 3 May 2021
See all Example Sentences for foul-up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foul-up
Noun
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Currency with mistakes can also be worth a lot, so be on the lookout for modern dimes without the S mark.Miguel Legoas, USA TODAY, 11 Dec. 2024
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In my experience, companies with strong safety capabilities typically have robust systems and processes that identify risks, are willing and able to learn from mistakes and proactively build resilience against the unexpected.Andreza Araujo, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Last week, the Lions squeaked out a 23-20 win against the Chicago Bears, thanks to some late-game heroics and a bit of luck as the Bears fumbled away their shot to tie or win.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024
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With its The Princess Bride meets The Tudors vibes, My Lady Jane had the potential to go down in the annals of television history as one of the greats — now, it will just be remembered as an appalling case of TV executives fumbling the bag.EW Staff, EW.com, 6 Dec. 2024
Verb
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And Brunson? All hearts in New York City skipped a beat when the Knicks’ captain and floor general tripped over a fan sitting court side and gingerly walked directly to the locker room.Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 10 Dec. 2024
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Although quarterback Jared Goff tripped during the handoff exchange with running back David Montgomery, the Lions still managed to put Lions kicker Jake Bates in position for a 35-yard field goal attempt.Chantz Martin, Fox News, 6 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Can their mix-up lead to their best holiday season ever in The Holiday Honeymoon Switch?Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 8 Dec. 2024
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Lost Ladies follows two brides whose lives become entangled after a late night mix-up on a train, which leads to a series of misadventures where the two brides encounter oddball characters with unexpected consequences.Sara Merican, Deadline, 5 Dec. 2024
Verb
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To have someone so esteemed give that sort of affirmation about my work really just blew me away.Curtis Bunn, NBC News, 12 Dec. 2024
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Many of the winds that blow down mountain slopes in California are also named for their locale, according to Null.Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
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In Northern California, the San Francisco Giants stumbled to another losing season in 2024.David K. Li, NBC News, 11 Dec. 2024
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The chances of you strolling up to a domain registrar and snapping up a domain worth thousands of dollars is about the same as stumbling upon a Jackson Pollock in a thrift store.Darpan Munjal, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The Steelers chose Terry Bradshaw, who could have solved their incessant quarterback confusion.Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 2 Dec. 2024
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Common symptoms of listeriosis include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions, sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms.Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 2 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Jessica and Ashlee Simpson, ‘The Little Drummer Boy’ There really aren’t many ways to screw up a straightforward ballad that needs only a rolling snare drum as required instrumentation, but leave it to the Simpson sisters circa 2004 to burn it all down.Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 10 Dec. 2024
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Collection Much like Nightmare Before Christmas, Joe Dante’s enduring horror favorite Gremlins plays like someone wanted to see how badly a bunch of little monsters could screw up the setting of another Christmas classic.Keith Phipps, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near foul-up
Cite this Entry
“Foul-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foul-up. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.
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