cock-up

noun

Definition of cock-upnext
British
as in shambles

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cock-up
  1. botch
  2. mess
  3. fiasco
  4. muddle
  5. disaster
  6. debacle
Noun
  • Braden Mann’s botch of the opening kickoff, Luke McCaffrey’s 47-yard return and Jeremiah Trotter Jr.’s unnecessary roughness penalty embodied the sloppy play that’s recently been awarding opponents advantageous field position.
    — The Athletic NFL Staff, The Athletic, 26 Dec. 2024
  • Lastly, there was the botch job of trading away Jake Guentzel at the deadline last season.
    — Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025
Definition of botch
Noun
  • The mascara dries quickly, and there’s no mess or smudging.
    — Jacquelyn Smith, Parents, 3 Apr. 2025
  • Rule out any mess conundrums with this silver scalloped crumb catcher.
    — Hayley Bloomingdale, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2025
Definition of mess
Noun
  • Note that not a single member involved in the texting fiasco, including at least one top official who appears to have participated while traveling in Russia, was sensible enough to question their collective lack of operational security.
    — Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 26 Mar. 2025
  • And to be clear: Butler deserves far more of the blame for his fiasco, because of his deplorable behavior in his final months with the Heat.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2025
Definition of fiasco
Noun
  • Those searching for catharsis or an applicable remedy to their own heartaches and existential muddles will find only one definitive answer—that no person can ever fully know her own mind.
    — Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2025
  • Paris’ increasingly one-sided support of Haftar will only add to the thick muddle of foreign interference in the Libyan conflict.
    — Jalel Harchaoui, Foreign Affairs, 21 Sep. 2017
Definition of muddle
Noun
  • However, he’s also had his share of expensive disasters, such as Joao Felix, Santiago Arias and Nikola Kalinić.
    — Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025
  • All the while, he’s typically dressed in a form-fitting dress, a shoulder-length wig and heeled boots (because open-toed shoes around hatchets and augers could spell disaster).
    — Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2025
Definition of disaster
Noun
  • In the grit and sweat of the city’s work, a charter might prevent debacles such as the city’s giveaway of its parking meters, or even the midnight destruction of Meigs Field.
    — David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Several Democratic senators, including Sens. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), have attempted to use the debacle to illustrate a lack of Republican control over national security.
    — Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 27 Mar. 2025
Definition of debacle
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

cocktails
cock-up
cock-ups
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Cite this Entry

“Cock-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cock-up. Accessed 12 Apr. 2025.

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