COCK-UP Synonyms: 40 Similar and Opposite Words

cock-up

noun

Definition of cock-up

British

as in shambles

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cock-up

Noun

Of course this was a calculated power play, not a bureaucratic botch.

— U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
During last week's WWE SmackDown, a series of mistakes and botches drew harsh criticism from fans.

— Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025

Definition of botch

Noun

Harry's decision comes amid an ongoing security fiasco concerning the safety of Meghan Markle and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

— Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 5 July 2026
Add in a fiasco of a camp, where celebrities had access to the team’s hotel, and subpar performances in defeats against Uruguay, Russia and Saudi Arabia, and the hoodoo appeared stronger than ever.

— Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 4 July 2026

Definition of fiasco

Noun

Although its advocates may claim inspiration from both the Great Society tradition of the Democratic Party and Nordic-style democratic socialism, consumer socialism is really a muddle of the two.

— Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026
Between the players on the pitch, the coaches, the pundits and the public, there seems to be a muddle of agendas.

— Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 26 June 2026

Definition of muddle

Noun

Modern networks are more resilient in disasters, an AT&T spokesman said, because they can be restored faster and are less vulnerable to damage and copper theft.

— Jenny Jarvie Follow, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
Burnham launched a government inquiry that found police failures, not the victims themselves, were responsible for the disaster.

— Lauren Frayer, NPR, 9 July 2026

Definition of disaster

Noun

In the work of fiction, the ship is taken over to prevent catastrophe.

— Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 5 July 2026
The young girls are referred to as Heaven’s 27 by their surviving families, who are determined to honor their legacy by ensuring such a catastrophe never happens again.

— Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 4 July 2026

Definition of catastrophe

Noun

What’s left — besides finding a Democrat to run in his place — is figuring out what, if anything, can be learned from this debacle.

— Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 7 July 2026
The recent debacle over the US’ desire to acquire Greenland has left Europe also seized with the need to shape its own defensce, yet another wrinkle for Moscow.

— Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 6 July 2026

Definition of debacle

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cocktails

cock-up

cock-ups

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“Cock-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cock-up. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of cock-up

noun

Example Sentences

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