bugger (up)

verb

ˈbə-gər How to pronounce bugger (up) (audio)
Definition of bugger (up)next
as in to fumble
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way I've somehow buggered up the program again

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugger (up)
  1. fumble
  2. blow
  3. foul up
  4. screw up
  5. ruin
Verb
  • The Cougars were stopped at the UCF 3 on consecutive drives before Overmyer fumbled at the UCF 7 and into the end zone, recovered by the Knights.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
  • On Friday, the Rams waived punt returner Xavier Smith, who fumbled in last season’s NFC championship game and made several decision-making errors against the Broncos.
    — Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of fumble
Verb
  • Miller blew just three saves in the regular season and allowed just 37 total hits.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • In Orange County, Anaheim hit 101 degrees Sunday, blowing past the 98-degree record set in 2020.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of blow
Verb
  • Then police closed that, too — at midafternoon Tuesday after a report of a suspicious package — fouling up traffic for New Yorkers even more.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
  • In the end, though, neither an explosion nor a giant spill of fluid that could foul up waterways and the ocean occurred.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026
Definition of foul up
Verb
  • Dallas is going to be better, but the Cowboys always screw up.
    — Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Sep. 2026
  • That doesn’t mean the Yankees screwed up in their process by trading for Stanton.
    — Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of screw up
Verb
  • On Monday, workers hauled out a 200-pound piece of equipment that was ruined by the saltwater and sand carried in on the high tides.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026
  • So our goal is to learn how to maximize AI budgets, not ration them and ruin productivity gains.
    — Konstantin Klyagin, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of ruin
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

buggers (up)
bugger (up)
buggies
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Cite this Entry

“Bugger (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugger%20%28up%29. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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