Phrasal Verb - Fouling Up
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.Definition
To 'foul up' means to make a significant mistake, blunder, or error that causes a problem, ruins a plan, spoils a situation, or leads to a malfunction. It implies a degree of incompetence, carelessness, or an unfortunate turn of events that results in something going wrong, often with negative consequences. It can be used transitively (to foul something up) or intransitively (to foul up). When something is 'fouled up,' it is typically in a state of disarray, confusion, or malfunction due to human error, often making it difficult or impossible to proceed as intended.
Examples
| No. | Example |
|---|---|
| 1 | He managed to foul up the entire presentation by forgetting to save the latest version. |
| 2 | Don't foul up this time; the success of the whole project depends on you. |
| 3 | The new intern unfortunately fouled up the client's order, sending them the wrong product. |
| 4 | If we don't follow the instructions carefully, we're bound to foul up the assembly. |
| 5 | The old machine kept fouling up, causing frequent delays in production and increasing maintenance costs. |
| 6 | She was worried she would foul up her lines during the play's opening night and disappoint the director. |
| 7 | Despite careful planning, a technical glitch fouled up the live broadcast just moments before airtime. |
| 8 | They really fouled up the budget, spending way more than allocated and forcing cuts elsewhere. |
| 9 | You always manage to foul things up when I ask you to help with anything technical. |
| 10 | The government's handling of the crisis was severely criticized for fouling up initial response efforts. |