goofed (up)

verb

past tense of goof (up)
1
as in fumbled
to make a mistake we must have goofed up somewhere, because this cake clearly didn't turn out right

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in buggered (up)
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 goofed (up)
  1. fumbled
  2. blew
  3. stumbled
  4. screwed up
  5. tripped
  6. dubbed
  7. slipped up
Verb
  • The company, which offers credit cards used to make rent and mortgage payments, had fumbled a critical transition, leading to confusion and financial stress for its customers.
    — Andy Kroll, ProPublica, 31 Aug. 2026
  • On his second drive, Tagovailoa fumbled the snap from center and the Dolphins recovered.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of fumbled
Verb
  • On third down, the offensive line blew open a big hole and running back Kameron Lee found it, popping out with a 13-yard run to get the Tigers out of trouble as the third quarter ended.
    — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Beyoncé, who wore a cozy hoodie for the outing, also blew kisses to the crowd and waved to fans as Jay-Z sang to her.
    — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of blew
Verb
  • In July 1990, four children stumbled upon the body, which was unable to be identified due to the severity of her injuries.
    — Lillian Metzmeier, Louisville Courier Journal, 2 Sep. 2026
  • That's what happened when Kerr stumbled upon the three grizzly bears, and the adult female wasn't pleased to see him.
    — David Hookstead OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of stumbled
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 screwed up
Verb
  • When the horse tripped, the animal fell and rolled over on top of her, according to the outlets.
    — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The fourth hour began haphazardly as the Today With Jenna & Sheinelle camera operator tripped over a chair during their intro segment.
    — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of tripped
Verb
  • Tesla also runs a chartered car service in the San Francisco area dubbed the FSD (Supervised) Rideshare service.
    — Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
  • In addition to modular dorms, there are many large glass buildings in the Dysonplex (as Allure’s former senior writer Brennan Kilbane dubbed it after his own visit six years ago).
    — Jenny Bailly, Allure, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of dubbed
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
  • Had Pep Guardiola’s side slipped up at a subdued Etihad, then Arsenal and Mikel Arteta could have won the title with victory over Burnley on Monday.
    — Sam Lee, New York Times, 13 May 2026
Definition of slipped 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

goofed on
goofed (up)
go off
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Goofed (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goofed%20%28up%29. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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