slip-up
noun
a mistake, blunder, or oversight.
slip-up
American
[slip-uhp]
/ ˈslɪpˌʌp /
noun
slip up
British
verb
-
informal to make a blunder or mistake; err
-
to fall over
he slipped up in the street
noun
slip up
Idioms
Etymology
Origin of slip-up
First recorded in 1850–55; noun use of verb phrase slip up
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The mounting toll of secrecy soon led to a slip-up that nearly cost him his life.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Instead, the bit reduced a palpable slight to just another funny slip-up.
From Salon ● Mar. 6, 2026
The authors suggest approaching each slip-up with curiosity rather than judgment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2026
Pakistan should also progress to the Super Eights in second place, barring a slip-up against the Netherlands, Namibia or the USA, who make up the five-team group.
From Barron's ● Feb. 3, 2026
“Noxzema is disgusting,” Maya said, ignoring Lauren’s slip-up.
From "Far from the Tree" by Robin Benway
They have created an environment of complete precision, not only in engineering, but also in process, because they simply can't afford financially or from a race perspective to slip up.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
Your mother may rightly feel that, based on experience, people are waiting for her to slip up.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
Before filing arrest warrants, Johnson likes to contact alleged fraudsters to see if panic will make them slip up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
With nine minutes left at Dens Park on Sunday, it appeared as if Celtic were going to slip up again in what has been a hugely frustrating season for the defending Scottish Premiership champions.
From BBC ● Apr. 5, 2026
It would be stupid to slip up now.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
