1
as in fumbled
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
tried not to foul up the football play
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stumbled
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fouled up
Verb
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In turn, the Heat fumbled it away.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026 -
The attempt to create a viable and vibrant residential hub arrives after years of neglect and fumbled strategies by the prior owner, an affiliate of real estate firm Z&L Properties.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Shares stumbled last week on news about job openings in December hitting their lowest level in five years as investors tried to assess the health of the economy and figure out whether to cash in on pricey stocks.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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Both the Bobcats and Blue Devils have stumbled, and Yale is in a dogfight in the Ivy League.—
Kels Dayton,
Hartford Courant,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Back then, the average team still featured three starters who threw enough innings to qualify for the ERA title, probably had an ace who blew past 200 innings and had multiple pitchers with double-digit wins.—
Jayson Stark,
New York Times,
10 Feb. 2026
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After Lathan Sommerville drew consecutive trips to the line, and no whistle blew when Dent was contacted on a drive, Cronin ran onto the court, throwing his fists in anger, and yelling at an official.—
Aaron Heisen,
Daily News,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Even the Chargers special teams had slipped up, as returner Derius Davis fumbled a kickoff return in the third quarter that led directly to 3 Broncos points.—
Daniel Popper,
New York Times,
22 Sep. 2025
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And while Conrad was the one who slipped up at the peach orchard in Episode 5, Belly’s the one to blame in Seadon 3, Episode 6.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The climate may get screwed up in new ways as scientists attempt to turn the planet’s temperature dial down.—
Christian Elliott,
The Atlantic,
31 Jan. 2026
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What Mager is showing here is the difference between kids and adults, the openness and willingness to be bold and confront things head on with matter-of-fact honesty in a world that is being screwed up by their elders and those in charge.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Fighting Illini coach Brad Underwood asked officials to review whether Fears intentionally tripped David Mirkovic after stopping in front of him.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Feb. 2026
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May was right that Fears tripped Lendeborg, a dirty play that should have resulted in a flagrant foul.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The book's Japanese translator was murdered, and others associated with it were attacked.—
Anderson Cooper,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
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In a desperate bid to recover his losses, he's murdered after fixing a boxing match.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Fouled up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fouled%20up. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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