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muck-up

[ muhk-uhp ]
/ ˈmʌkˌʌp /
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noun Informal.
a bungled or disordered situation; foul-up.
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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.
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Origin of muck-up

First recorded in 1925–30; noun use of verb phrase muck up
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to muck-up

bobble, bumble, bungle, err, flub, fumble, miscalculate, mishandle, misjudge, mismanage, muff, screw up, convolute, impede, involve, muddle, obscure, perplex, upset, corrupt

How to use muck-up in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for muck-up

muck up
verb (adverb) informal
(tr) British and Australian to ruin or spoil; make a mess of
(intr) Australian to misbehave
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with muck-up

muck up

Bungle, damage, make a mess of, as in Don't let him write the review; he's sure to muck it up. This idiom alludes to the verb muck in the sense of “spread manure on.” [Early 1900s] For a synonym, see foul up.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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