as in to fumble
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
you've bollixed up the whole thing
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bollix (up)
Verb
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Lose Aaron Jones, and the offense will hinge on Jordan Mason, who has a mountain to climb in pass protection, and rookie Demond Claiborne, who fumbled five times in 179 carries last season at Wake Forest.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
22 May 2026 -
In doing so, the TV adaptation fumbled the comics’ superior final act, turning Butcher’s own ignominious death at the hands of Hughie into an ineffective afterthought.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
20 May 2026
Verb
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Barring an all-time collapse — no team in NBA playoff history has ever blown a 3-0 series lead — the Knicks are headed to the NBA Finals.—
Kristian Winfield,
Sun Sentinel,
25 May 2026
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Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.—
Southern California Weather Report,
Daily News,
25 May 2026
Verb
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But at the same time, film has always been a labor of love, and cutting too many corners could ruin the art form entirely.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
22 May 2026
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According to the researchers, even small variations can weaken the final structure or ruin an entire print.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
22 May 2026
Verb
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Myers nails the realistic teen who is a far cry from the unflappable Nancy Drew, screwing up plenty and often terrified of what she's gotten herself into.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 May 2026
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But great expectations can screw up merely very good players.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
20 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Bollix (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bollix%20%28up%29. Accessed 26 May. 2026.
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