verb
make a mess of, destroy or ruin (Freq. 1)
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I botched the dinner and we had to eat out
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the pianist screwed up the difficult passage in the second movement
• Syn:
↑botch, ↑bodge, ↑bumble, ↑fumble, ↑botch up, ↑muff, ↑blow, ↑flub, ↑screw up, ↑ball up, ↑spoil, ↑muck up, ↑bungle, ↑fluff, ↑bollix, ↑bollix up, ↑bollocks, ↑bollocks up, ↑bobble, ↑mishandle, ↑louse up, ↑mess up, ↑fuck up
• Derivationally related forms:
↑fuckup (for: ↑fuck up), ↑mess-up (for: ↑mess up), ↑foul-up, ↑fluff (for: ↑fluff), ↑bungle (for: ↑bungle), ↑bungler (for: ↑bungle), ↑spoil (for: ↑spoil), ↑spoilage (for: ↑spoil), ↑spoiling (for: ↑spoil), ↑ballup (for: ↑ball up), ↑screwup (for: ↑screw up), ↑flub (for: ↑flub), ↑fumbler (for: ↑fumble), ↑bumbler (for: ↑bumble), ↑botcher (for: ↑botch), ↑botch (for: ↑botch)
• Verb Frames:
-
Somebody ——s
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Somebody ——s something
* * *
foul up [phrasal verb]
informal
The weather has fouled up our plans.
: to ruin or spoil (something) by making a mistake or being careless
She fouled up [=ruined, messed up] our plans by forgetting to make the reservations.
2 foul up : to make mistakes : to fail at something because you have made a mistake or been careless
Whenever I try to be clever, I usually foul up. [=mess up]
— see also ↑foul-up
• • •
Main Entry: ↑foul
* * *
ˌfoul ˈup derived
•
I've fouled up badly again, haven't I?
related noun ↑foul-up
Useful english dictionary. 2012.