snafu

[ sna-foo, snaf-oo ]

/ snæˈfu, ˈsnæf u /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR snafu ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a badly confused or ridiculously muddled situation: A ballot snafu in the election led to a recount.

adjective Rare.

in disorder; out of control; chaotic: a snafu scheme that simply won't work.

verb (used with object), sna·fued, sna·fu·ing. Rare.

to throw into disorder; muddle: Losing his passport snafued the whole vacation.

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Words related to snafu

misunderstanding, miscalculation, blunder, mix-up, foul-up, mess, confusion, flub, screwup, blooper, slip, error, oversight, bungle, misjudgment, goof-up

Words nearby snafu

snack, snack bar, snack table, snackette, snaffle, snafu, snag, snaggletooth, snaggy, snail, snail bore

Origin of snafu

1940–45; s(ituation) n(ormal): a(ll) f(ucked) u(p); sometimes euphemistically construed as f(ouled) u(p)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for snafu

SNAFU—“situation normal: all f--ked up,” as soldiers used to say—was the default position for American policy.
In Search of the Obama Doctrine|Christopher Dickey|July 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST
So is this snafu an image problem, or is the real problem the reality behind the curtain—a curtain that needed to be pulled back?
Let the Military Mouth Off!|Christopher Brownfield|July 6, 2010|DAILY BEAST
And you know what snafu stands for: Situation Normal, All Fucked Up.
Our Screwed Up Tax System: Fix It|John Avlon|February 6, 2009|DAILY BEAST
"We're not giving her a chance to snafu the works," Gotch said grimly.
First on the Moon|Jeff Sutton

Everything was in apple-pie order, except for the snafu in Arzachel, Crag thought bitterly.
First on the Moon|Jeff Sutton

British Dictionary definitions for snafu

snafu

/ (snæˈfuː) slang mainly military /

noun

confusion or chaos regarded as the normal state

adjective

(postpositive) confused or muddled up, as usual

verb -fus, -fuing or -fued

(tr) US and Canadian to throw into chaos

Word Origin for snafu

C20: from s (ituation) n (ormal): a (ll) f (ucked or ouled) u (p)

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