as in blunder
somewhat informal
a problem that makes a situation difficult or confusing
A major scheduling snafu led to two meetings starting at the same time.
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Recent Examples of snafu
Last month, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) proposed new rules that would require airlines to compensate passengers between $200 and $775 for significant flight delays and cancellations that are caused by something within the carrier’s control, like a technology snafu.
—
Suzanne Rowan Kelleher, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025
After a snafu with our reservation that almost cost us our seating (more on that below), our hilarious and talented chef, Kristoffer, saved the day with his joke-cracking and cooking.
—Blane Bachelor, AFAR Media, 26 Dec. 2024
Most likely though, these are logistical snafus that contribute to you feeling a bit stuck, disempowered, or unsure of what to do.
—Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Nov. 2024
Amazon made waves by declaring a full-time RTO initiative in September, only to delay it in December due to a snafu regarding a lack of office space.
—Serenity Gibbons, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for snafu
Suzanne Rowan Kelleher, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025
After a snafu with our reservation that almost cost us our seating (more on that below), our hilarious and talented chef, Kristoffer, saved the day with his joke-cracking and cooking.
—Blane Bachelor, AFAR Media, 26 Dec. 2024
Most likely though, these are logistical snafus that contribute to you feeling a bit stuck, disempowered, or unsure of what to do.
—Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Nov. 2024
Amazon made waves by declaring a full-time RTO initiative in September, only to delay it in December due to a snafu regarding a lack of office space.
—Serenity Gibbons, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for snafu
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snafu
Noun
-
After coalescing with ultranationalists to establish the nation's furthest right government in late 2022, the former special forces commando who had already become Israel's longest serving premier largely deflected criticism over the intelligence blunder of October 7, 2023.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2025
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Yet, the Trump White House and leading Republicans in Congress have tried mightily to put a positive spin on the colossal blunder, even as Democrats pounced on it.—
Clarence Page,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
This makes people more forgiving when leaders make mistakes.—
Tendayi Viki,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
-
How does that kind of high-consequence mistake happen?—
CBS News,
CBS News,
23 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The lawsuit claims medical errors happened during the procedure, which led to the bowel perforation.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
27 Mar. 2025
-
All the results were just outside margins of error.—
Paul Du Quenoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Snafu.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snafu. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.
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