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
Example 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
Darren Incorvaia, Discover Magazine, 15 Aug. 2021
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
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
Bee digestion breaks down the sucrose within nectar into glucose and fructose, which are an excellent food source for microbes like yeast that could foul up the honey stores.
—Darren Incorvaia, Discover Magazine, 15 Aug. 2021
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
See all Example Sentences for foul-up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foul-up
Noun
-
And there are plenty of inspector-general reports to support my view that there have been mistakes.—
Isaac Chotiner,
The New Yorker,
3 Feb. 2025
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Another question to consider: Does this mistake reflect their true character?—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
3 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Now, contrast that to the recent experience of Ravens tight end Mark Andrews who, as every devoted local football fan will recall, both fumbled and dropped a crucial two-point conversion pass in a must-win playoff game against the Buffalo Bills.—
Baltimore Sun Editorial Board,
Orlando Sentinel,
25 Jan. 2025
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Like Fuhrman, many were nervous about teachers fumbling over technology and classmates not paying attention.—
Daniel Miller,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The actress is a noted fan of cushiony kicks for family walks, trips to Japan, movie premieres, and fitness sessions and is often spotted wearing the Brooks brand, particularly the Glycerin 21 running shoes.—
Miles Walls,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Jan. 2025
-
This newly available type of mental health treatment involves tripping on psilocybin-containing mushrooms under the supervision of a licensed guide, known as a facilitator.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
The Denver Post,
21 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
There is a 94-year-old woman among the crowd who gets into an interesting mix-up, but there are no movie stars, no sports figures, no politicians.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
31 Jan. 2025
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Woman Left Baffled By Job Interview Question By Darlin Tillery Life & Trends Reporter 0 A job candidate's final interview question took an unexpected turn when a simple verbal mix-up led to an awkward spiral that may have cost her the position.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
30 Jan. 2025
Verb
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But the wind is blowing strangely now that Donald Trump is back in the White House as President and officially fighting against diversity, equity and inclusion.—
Evan Clark,
WWD,
3 Feb. 2025
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Place them at the center of the dining table or display them on a windowsill — without worrying about blowing them out at the end of the night.—
Isabel Garcia,
People.com,
1 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Then came an unexpected loss to West Virginia in the Bahamas and a few high-profile December stumbles.—
Jon Wilner,
The Mercury News,
3 Feb. 2025
-
It's been nearly two weeks since Billy Ray Cyrus stumbled onstage during a performance at President Donald Trump's inauguration celebration.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
Fox News,
2 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The issue is Jurgens is dealing with a back injury, hence the confusion about his playing at all.—
Joel Thayer,
Newsweek,
26 Jan. 2025
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Fogelman likes to play around with time to create mysteries within otherwise straightforward narratives, and that’s how Paradise works, introducing little points of confusion and then filling in the backstory with flashbacks to flesh things out.—
Daniel Fienberg,
The Hollywood Reporter,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Robby doesn’t want to involve the police and screw up David’s life if this is a false alarm, or there’s still a chance to talk to the kid.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
16 Jan. 2025
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When politicians screw up on a public stage, those blunders can be, at best, meme-ified and, at worst, career-ending.—
Paul Du Quenoy,
Newsweek,
31 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 9 Feb. 2025.
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