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:
Mrs. Biden mentions that episode as if it were a minor slip-up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026
Arsenal are just three wins away from becoming Premier League champions for the first time since 2004, but can they avoid a slip-up against third-bottom West Ham on Sunday?
From BBC ● May 7, 2026
The authors suggest approaching each slip-up with curiosity rather than judgment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2026
France's only slip-up in qualifying came in a draw in Iceland last month, although they have rarely found their fluid best during a low-key campaign.
From Barron's ● Nov. 13, 2025
“Noxzema is disgusting,” Maya said, ignoring Lauren’s slip-up.
From "Far from the Tree" by Robin Benway
After Liverpool's slip up at Crystal Palace the previous day, suddenly Arsenal were only two points off the top.
From BBC ● May 19, 2026
There is still plenty of time yet for Chelsea to surge into form and Manchester City to slip up.
From BBC ● Jan. 24, 2026
“It’s invisible until you slip up, and then it becomes visible,” McClary said.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 8, 2026
Marcos Llorente was a welcome return to the Atletico starting line-up after injury, and Simeone's team never looked likely to slip up against the team in 18th.
From Barron's ● Dec. 21, 2025
Then I said, “No, Frightful, if they are after me there won’t be a siren. They’ll just slip up on me quietly.”
From "My Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
Definitions 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.
