oops

American  

[oops, oops] / ʊps, ups /

interjection

1. (used to express mild dismay, chagrin, surprise, etc., as at one's own mistake, a clumsy act, or social blunder.)

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oops British  

/ ʊps, uːps /

interjection

1. an exclamation of surprise or of apology as when someone drops something or makes a mistake

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Etymology

Origin of oops

First recorded in 1925–30; origin uncertain

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

oops

BTS stepped aside, and so did Serena Williams, and Tom Brady too — oops, scratch that.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 8, 2022

The Yankees get a big oops in the chat.

From New York Times ● Aug. 11, 2022

It isn’t happenstance, an uncomfortable accident, that Rogan and his words ended up on Spotify’s platform, and now, oops, he just has to be dealt with.

From The Verge ● Mar. 1, 2022

On Sunday, the official Twitter account of Major League Baseball commemorated the anniversary of what it breathlessly called “the greatest comeback in baseball history” by hyping Roberts — oops, nope, by hyping David Ortiz.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2021

I look that way and oops, there’s Gene, doing his best impression of a fixated hyena or grizzly or something.

From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell

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Related Words

• cry
• exclamation
• expletive
• insertion
• interpolation
• interposition
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