foul-up
1 of 2noun
ˈfau̇(-ə)l-ˌəp 
1
: a state of confusion or an error caused by ineptitude, carelessness, or mismanagement
foul-ups in transportation
2
: a mechanical difficulty
foul up
2 of 2verb
fouled up; fouling up; fouls up
transitive verb
1
: to make dirty : contaminate
2
: to spoil by making mistakes or using poor judgment : confuse
3
: entangle, block
fouled up communications
intransitive verb
: to cause a foul-up : bungle
it was his fault. He had fouled up
Pat Frank
Pat Frank
Synonyms
Noun
- mix-up
Verb
- blow
- bobble
- boggle
- bollix (up)
- boot
- botch
- bugger (up)
- bumble
- bungle
- butcher
- dub
- flub
- fluff
- foozle
- fumble
- goof (up)
- louse up
- mangle
- mess (up)
- muck up
- muff
- murder
- screw up
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb tried not to foul up the football play unfortunately, I fouled up and in my e-mail gave everyone the wrong date for the meeting
Recent Examples on the Web 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 The foul up with the referees is a bit of surprise given Indianapolis' reputation for being an effective host city for large-scale events —and the importance of this event to the city and its reputation. Alexandria Burris, The Indianapolis Star, 19 Mar. 2021 Then come foul up, goof up, gum up, mess up, muck up, screw up and synonymous unprintables. Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2021 That’s how the Patriots can score, by fooling the other team or forcing it to foul up. BostonGlobe.com, 18 Nov. 2019 The Giants foul up the rush, but the Winterhawks are slow to get back and Sourdif gets the puck back and beats Joel Hofer top shelf. Dylan Bumbarger, oregonlive, 10 Nov. 2019 If his mechanics are fouled up and if his pocket presence is askew, those aren’t little things, and no one other than hot-take artists are saying he is seriously maligned. Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 13 Sep. 2019 That is, one can’t simply be plugged into the other without fouling up the picture. Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, 20 July 2019 See More
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 The foul up with the referees is a bit of surprise given Indianapolis' reputation for being an effective host city for large-scale events —and the importance of this event to the city and its reputation. Alexandria Burris, The Indianapolis Star, 19 Mar. 2021 Then come foul up, goof up, gum up, mess up, muck up, screw up and synonymous unprintables. Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2021 That’s how the Patriots can score, by fooling the other team or forcing it to foul up. BostonGlobe.com, 18 Nov. 2019 The Giants foul up the rush, but the Winterhawks are slow to get back and Sourdif gets the puck back and beats Joel Hofer top shelf. Dylan Bumbarger, oregonlive, 10 Nov. 2019 If his mechanics are fouled up and if his pocket presence is askew, those aren’t little things, and no one other than hot-take artists are saying he is seriously maligned. Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 13 Sep. 2019 That is, one can’t simply be plugged into the other without fouling up the picture. Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, 20 July 2019 See More Word History
First Known Use
Noun
1918, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Verb
1880, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
fouling up
verb
1
as in fumbling
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way tried not to foul up the football play Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- fumbling
- mucking up
- screwing up
- lousing up
- blowing
- buggering (up)
- murdering
- bollixing (up)
- dubbing
- goofing (up)
- booting
- ruining
- bungling
- destroying
- boggling
- spoiling
- mangling
- butchering
- botching
- muffing
- messing (up)
- foozling
- fluffing
- damaging
- flubbing
- bobbling
- bumbling
- gumming (up)
- marring
- flawing
- injuring
- wrecking
- impairing
- blundering
- hurting
- mutilating
- muddling
- harming
- blighting
- piffling
- blemishing
- vitiating
- mismanaging
- mishandling
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- improving
- helping
- enhancing
- reforming
- refining
- rectifying
- remedying
- meliorating
- ameliorating
- repairing
- fixing
- renovating
- revamping
- reconditioning
- patching
- bettering
- doctoring
2
as in slipping up
to make a mistake unfortunately, I fouled up and in my e-mail gave everyone the wrong date for the meeting Synonyms & Similar Words
- slipping up
- fumbling
- screwing up
- stumbling
- lousing up
- tripping
- dropping the ball
- goofing (up)
- laying an egg
- blundering
- erring
- nodding
- fluffing
- misunderstanding
- flubbing
- messing (up)
- boobing
- mistaking
- misdeeming
- murdering
- foozling
- bungling
- mangling
- botching
- butchering
- muffing
- misconceiving
- misgaging
- misjudging
- misgauging
- mishandling
- miscuing
- miscounting
- miscalculating
- bobbling
- misconstruing
- misinterpreting
