bollix (up)

verb

Definition of bollix (up)next
as in to fumble
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way you've bollixed up the whole thing

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bollix (up)
  1. fumble
  2. blow
  3. ruin
  4. screw up
Verb
  • Taylor started Indy’s unraveling by fumbling away a would-be 41-yard touchdown early in the third quarter that would’ve given Indianapolis a 20-7 lead.
    Nick Kosmider, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
  • That’s what Matt Stafford did after fumbling through the start of the game.
    Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 12 Dec. 2024
Definition of fumble
Verb
  • Gardner-Johnson’s play redeemed his ejection after two unsportsmanlike penalties last week when the Eagles blew a two-score lead to the Washington Commanders.
    Brooks Kubena, The Athletic, 29 Dec. 2024
  • Milk, the drink of choice for an adult about to just absolutely blow someone’s back out.
    Allison P. Davis, Vulture, 27 Dec. 2024
Definition of blow
Verb
  • Although the name suggests otherwise, the custard should never be allowed to actually boil, which would risk scrambling the eggs and ruining the custard.
    Elizabeth Hutchison Hicklin, Southern Living, 22 Dec. 2024
  • And these aren’t the only holiday hazards that can ruin your festive spirit.
    Terri Williams, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
Definition of ruin
Verb
  • So messy was his operation that even the NCAA’s oafs couldn’t screw up that investigation.
    Blake Toppmeyer, The Tennessean, 19 Dec. 2024
  • But Mike gets in his face to say that Brady's the one screwing up his own life.
    Sara Netzley, EW.com, 19 Dec. 2024
Definition of screw up
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Thesaurus Entries Near bollix (up)

bollixing (up)

bollix (up)

Bollywood

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Bollix (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bollix%20%28up%29. Accessed 3 Jan. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

Using Bullet Points ( • )

'Gray' vs. 'Grey': What is the difference?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
tiny woman sitting on a pile of books reading
Little Words, Big Vocabulary Quiz Time to sweat the small stuff.