GOOF (UP) Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

goof (up)

verb

Definition of goof (up)

as in to fumble

to make a mistake we must have goofed up somewhere, because this cake clearly didn't turn out right

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in to blow

to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way he goofed up his first sale at the dealership

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for goof (up)

Verb

Specifically, Nico Iamaleava struggled, fumbling once and throwing interceptions to Oregon’s Koi Perich and Jerry Mixon.

— Elias Esquivel, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
Irving scored his second touchdown of the game to further the Bucs’ lead, and Prescott wouldn’t even get the ball back after KaVontae Turpin fumbled the ensuing kickoff, which Tampa Bay recovered.

— Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of fumble

Verb

This inspires Other Mommy to gruesomely kill Frank in front of Bela, including blowing his head up in an outrageous explosion of blood.

— William Earl, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
In Chicago, the city is on track to blow past the $252 million spent last year to resolve police lawsuits, mostly involving plaintiffs who went to prison based on faulty evidence, according to local news reports.

— Sean Greene, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of blow

Verb

But up here on the terraces of the Anantara Grand Hotel Convento di Amalfi, the shrieks of day-tripping cruise passengers, zipping back and forth in Tango-orange tenders, are pleasantly faint.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Beckett Sennecke drew a tripping penalty on Gustav Forsling midway through overtime, but Florida nearly killed the penalty before Carlsson found Granlund in front for his first goal.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of trip

Verb

Almost sounds silly now, with the way the team has stumbled and bumbled its way through the first four games.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
Of the seven clubs that had 14 or more players from their organizations appear in the WBC, several stumbled early and only the Phillies and Brewers made the postseason.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of stumble

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

Verb

The Iberians slipped up big time in their first match of the tournament, being shocked by Switzerland 1-0, bringing back ghosts of tournament failures past for Spanish fans.

— Patrick Sung Cuadrado, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
But for taxpayers with a solid compliance history who slip up once, automatically applying relief—instead of reserving it for those who know to ask—is a welcome change.

— Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026

Definition of slip up

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

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

goofs (up)

goof (up)

goofy

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Goof (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goof%20%28up%29. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of goof (up)

verb

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