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
Examples 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
Luke Winkie, The Atlantic, 22 July 2021
But a foul up with super formula license points stole that dream away.
—Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 3 May 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
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
But a foul up with super formula license points stole that dream away.
—Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 3 May 2021
See all Example Sentences for foul-up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foul-up
Noun
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The Sharks scored first at Madison Square Garden but couldn’t overcome their mistakes in the latter half of the second, allowing three unanswered goals in less than five minutes in a frustrating 3-2 loss to the Rangers in the third game of a four-game road trip.Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 14 Nov. 2024
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Surprisingly, Danni doesn’t see it as a mistake and would kiss him again.Emma Soren, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2024
Verb
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After wide receiver Courtland Sutton fumbled at the goal line, the Panthers marched down the field on a 10-play, 98-yard scoring drive, which ended with Young finding Coker for a 15-yard touchdown pass.Ryan McFadden, The Denver Post, 29 Oct. 2024
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Even in that moment, he got stuck on a couple of words and fumbled the line.ABC NEWS, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Of the almost 600,000 electric scooter trips the city logged between May and September, Lime accounted for about 89% and Spin, its competitor, made up the remaining.Maia Pandey, Journal Sentinel, 4 Nov. 2024
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Consider light-colored clothing or reflective tape for costumes, and adjust costume length to avoid tripping.Katie Wiseman, The Indianapolis Star, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
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In the comments, people shared their reactions to the hilarious mix-up.Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
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What to know and how to get rid of these insects Both ladybugs and Asian beetles hibernate during winter and reappear in the spring, making fall a common time for infestations and mix-up of the two species.Jalen Williams, Detroit Free Press, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Without breaking stride, Hunter blew past four more Utah defenders and hopped into the end zone, a broken play transformed into a work of art.Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 16 Nov. 2024
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Oldenburg’s ode to Mies van der Rohe’s signature pocket square, the 12-foot fiberglass Handkerchief, will blow toward Park Avenue, and inside, a giant cloth saw will hug the walls and floor.Morgan Meier, Curbed, 12 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Surveyors reportedly stumbled upon the endangered bees during an environmental review of the area, forcing regulators to suspend the project.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
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In the fall of 2022, a Princeton University graduate student named Carolina Figueiredo stumbled onto a massive coincidence.Charlie Wood, WIRED, 3 Nov. 2024
Noun
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In Arizona, that ruling left confusion between two conflicting laws, and temporarily stopped clinics from providing abortions as courts worked out what was legal in the state.Stacey Barchenger, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
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The crowd immediately erupted into laughter while Dismukes looked between the two in confusion.Shania Russell, EW.com, 3 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Myers nails the realistic teen who is a far cry from the unflappable Nancy Drew, screwing up plenty and often terrified of what she’s gotten herself into.Tanya Melendez, EW.com, 2 Nov. 2024
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My first assumption on the hunt with Walz was that somebody had screwed up, failing to place the birds in the pre-planned locations.Wes Siler, Outside Online, 17 Oct. 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 22 Nov. 2024.
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