as in to fumble
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
I've somehow buggered up the program again
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugger (up)
Verb
-
My manuscript was finally being read by editors, who responded with almost-wins — an overtime pass, fumbled.—
Tara Dorabji,
People.com,
16 Jan. 2025 -
Gone are the days of fumbling with cords and adapters—this smart board simplifies connectivity to keep your focus on what matters most.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
15 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
The Eagles defense also uncharacteristically blew several coverages in Week 16, including on two of Daniels’ five touchdown passes.—
Ted Nguyen,
The Athletic,
23 Jan. 2025
-
Is this a lot of hocus pocus or a computational paradigm that might blow current capabilities out of the water and make NVDA look like, well, Intel of prior years?—
Vineer Bhansali,
Forbes,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
For just one of 67 counties to use the wrong one could foul up an entire statewide count.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Jan. 2024
-
See the stunning shot... AIRLINE 'CHAOS' – A flight was canceled after someone fouled up the aircraft amid delays.—
Fox News Staff,
Fox News,
19 Oct. 2023
Verb
-
Robby doesn’t want to involve the police and screw up David’s life if this is a false alarm, or there’s still a chance to talk to the kid.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
16 Jan. 2025
-
When politicians screw up on a public stage, those blunders can be, at best, meme-ified and, at worst, career-ending.—
Paul Du Quenoy,
Newsweek,
31 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Sign up » Nonfiction In the past fifteen years, an avalanche of literature has been published about how technology has ruined our attention spans.—
The New Yorker,
The New Yorker,
22 Jan. 2025
-
However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Miami Herald,
22 Jan. 2025
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 bugger (up)
Cite this Entry
“Bugger (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugger%20%28up%29. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share