BUGGER (UP) Synonyms: 61 Similar and Opposite Words

bugger (up)

verb

ˈbə-gər

Definition of bugger (up)

as in to fumble

to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way I've somehow buggered up the program again

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugger (up)

Verb

On his second drive, Tagovailoa fumbled the snap from center and the Dolphins recovered.

— Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Centennial fumbled on its first possession to set up Petero’s two-yard touchdown run.

— Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of fumble

Verb

It’s been a decade since the company best known for sucking up hair balls and dust bunnies blew with great force into the beauty business.

— Jenny Bailly, Allure, 1 Sep. 2026
The Las Vegas spectacle, which opened to the public in August 2025, already blows audiences around with tornado-force wind, shakes them with haptic seats, sends giant winged monkeys flying overhead and drops hundreds of foam apples from the ceiling.

— Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of blow

Verb

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
An incorrect connection or approach can foul up a line, damage a plane or cause an accident.

— Tara Copp The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 25 May 2026

Definition of foul up

Verb

That doesn’t mean the Yankees screwed up in their process by trading for Stanton.

— Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Every time a player screwed up, the coaching staff and his teammates received a text message, calling out both the infraction and the guilty party.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of screw up

Verb

The fight between a small Georgia community and tech giant Meta has escalated this week after four families filed a lawsuit against the company alleging a central Georgia data center project has contaminated their water and ruined their home values.

— Irene Wright, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Gen, forgetting her swollen wrist, perks up at the thought of having a new person to ruin sheets with.

— Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of ruin

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Browse Nearby Words

buggers (up)

bugger (up)

buggies

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“Bugger (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugger%20%28up%29. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of bugger (up)

verb

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