as in fumbling
to make a mistake
if you slip up in copying the data, the final result will of course be wrong
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of slipping up
Other people’s opinions, or slipping up and saying the wrong thing?
—
Jordan Robinson, SELF, 19 Mar. 2026
Smart’s Bulldogs could now do with the Crimson Tide slipping up to improve their conference prospects, with Texas A&M still out in front as the SEC’s only unbeaten team.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025
The main components have measurement indicators so there’s no chance of slipping up, and the parts can all nest inside the large container for easy storage when you’re done drinking your coffee.
—Mark Marino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Aug. 2025
Jordan Robinson, SELF, 19 Mar. 2026
Smart’s Bulldogs could now do with the Crimson Tide slipping up to improve their conference prospects, with Texas A&M still out in front as the SEC’s only unbeaten team.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025
The main components have measurement indicators so there’s no chance of slipping up, and the parts can all nest inside the large container for easy storage when you’re done drinking your coffee.
—Mark Marino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slipping up
Verb
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Nothing erodes confidence faster than fumbling for lockboxes, waiting on unresponsive listing agents, or showing a space that clearly doesn’t fit.—
Allen Buchanan,
Oc Register,
28 Mar. 2026
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Last season’s Detroit Tigers endured the worst divisional collapse in history, fumbling an AL Central lead that reached 15 1/2 games in July.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Occasionally, King’s assistants, a pair of bulky guys with law-enforcement backgrounds, offered the stumbling line a corrective shove.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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The Ducks started their trip up five points on Connor McDavid and company, but held just a three-point edge after stumbling 4-2 on Saturday.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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First of all, don’t hide misdeeds and screwups, which comes naturally by not committing misdeeds and not screwing up.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
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Right now, Iranians are blaming, appropriately, the regime for screwing up the country.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But there were too many moments early in the game in which the Illini looked out of control, badly missing shots, tripping on their drives.—
Colleen Kane,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
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The unwanted genetic material vanishes without a trace, which is what kept tripping scientists up for decades.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slipping up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slipping%20up. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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