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
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
England are poised to profit on any slip-up by title favourites France after scoring 10 tries in a record Six Nations win over a dismal Wales at the Principality Stadium.
From BBC ● Mar. 15, 2025
Kelsea has email access on her phone, but I’m still worried about anything being traced, especially after my slip-up with Nathan.
From "Every Day" by David Levithan
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
Ex-Blackburn Rovers striker Chris Sutton told BBC Radio 5 Live: "I still think that Arsenal will win the Premier League. I think they have the easier fixtures, and Man City will slip up in theirs."
From BBC ● Apr. 19, 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
I slip up to the shed and lean against the outside wall.
From "The Young Man and the Sea" by Rodman Philbrick
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.
