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• foul-up
  foul-up

  noun

  a condition of difficulty or disorder brought on by inefficiency, stupidity, etc.
• foul up
  foul up

  verb

  (tr) to bungle; mismanage

foul-up

American  

[faul-uhp] / ˈfaʊlˌʌp /

noun

Informal.

1. a condition of difficulty or disorder brought on by inefficiency, stupidity, etc.

2. failure of a mechanical part to operate correctly.

3. a person who habitually makes mistakes; bungler.

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foul up British  

verb

1. (tr) to bungle; mismanage

2. (tr) to make dirty; contaminate

3. to be or cause to be blocked, choked, or entangled

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noun

1. a state of confusion or muddle caused by bungling

foul up Idioms  

1. Blunder or cause to blunder; botch, ruin. For example, He's fouled up this report, but I think we can fix it, or Our plans were fouled up by the bad weather. This expression is widely believed to have originated as a euphemism for fuck up. [Colloquial; c. 1940]

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Etymology

Origin of foul-up

1950–55, noun use of verb phrase foul up

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

foul-up foul up

Rumors, recently debunked, spread that the town fired two workers over the foul-up, though neither processed payments.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

“The reason why you wouldn’t check a bag is that eliminates one of the foul-up points,” Brancatelli said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 16, 2023

After that, Barney steps way back, and Lee, after a major mission foul-up, is fired by his girlfriend, played by Megan Fox, who takes over the leadership role.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 22, 2023

Verstappen was winner on merit in Imola and Miami, but in Spain and Monaco Ferrari lost what should have been wins, with an engine failure for Leclerc in Barcelona and a strategy foul-up in Monaco.

From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2022

A mistake, maybe — a foul-up in the paperwork.

From "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien

There remains the possibility that the tank will still explode or rupture in a massive leak that could send the chemical to foul up waterways and the ocean.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 23, 2026

The pandemic also fouled up — really, continues to foul up — the supply chain.

From Washington Post ● Nov. 25, 2021

“Losses are great because we’re living in a world that is very integrated with supply chains that have to be very efficient and effective, and when you stop them, things foul up and costs rise.”

From The Guardian ● Feb. 17, 2019

“So for us to foul up those two, that part we know we can get corrected.”

From Washington Times ● Oct. 1, 2018

Mama was afraid it would foul up our drinking water.

From "Old Yeller" by Fred Gipson

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