foul up
[verb]
Synonyms: confuse, jumble, mix up, muddle, snafu, snarl up, tumble

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

foul up phrasal verb informal (see also foul)

1. to do something wrong or spoil something by making mistakes ⇒ foul-up:
We can’t afford to foul up this time.
foul something ↔ up
Glen completely fouled up the seating arrangements.

2. foul something ↔ up to make something very dirty, especially with waste:
He lit a cigarette and started to foul up the air with stinging yellow smoke.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

ˈfoul-up noun [countable] informal
a problem caused by a stupid or careless mistake ⇒ foul up:
a computer system foul-up

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

foul up
foul up (something)
1.
to spoil something by making a mistake or doing something stupid.
It takes the same amount of time to do things right as to foul them up.

2.
to damage a machine or system.
Too much aspirin can really foul up your stomach.

to make a mistake.
I'm sorry, I fouled up — I meant to send the last message just to Frank, not the whole group.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

foul up something
foul up (something)
1.
to spoil something by making a mistake or doing something stupid.
It takes the same amount of time to do things right as to foul them up.

2.
to damage a machine or system.
Too much aspirin can really foul up your stomach.

to make a mistake.
I'm sorry, I fouled up — I meant to send the last message just to Frank, not the whole group.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

foul up
to do badly, to mess something up
There was a problem with our tickets and our plans became fouled up.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

foul up(1)
v., informal
1. To make dirty.
The birds fouled up his newly washed car.
2. To tangle up.
He tried to throw a lasso but he got the rope all fouled up.
3. To ruin or spoil by stupid mistakes; botch.
He fouled the whole play up by forgetting his part.
4. To make a mistake; to blunder.
Blue suit and brown socks! He had fouled up again.
5. To go wrong.
Why do some people foul up and become criminals?

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

foul-up(2)
n. (stress on "foul")
1. informal A confused situation; confusion; mistake.
The luncheon was handled with only one or two foul-ups.
2. informal A breakdown.
There was a foul-up in his car's steering mechanism.
3. slang A person who fouls up or mixes things.
He had gotten a reputation as a foul-up.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲