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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bollix (up)
Verb
-
During the Mets’ loss to the Marlins, Vientos was jogging to first base when Miami’s Graham Pauley fumbled the ball.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 2025 -
The characters in Megan Howell’s short stories, which glide into scenes of magical realism, are lonely people facing the harsh realities of an often violent world and fumbling toward something more hopeful.—
Emma Alpern,
Vulture,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
What used to build brands now risks blowing them up.—
Remy Blumenfeld,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Apr. 2025
-
Miles Caton blew me away and Michael B. jordan is incredible.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Curtis left her job as a deputy in August 2023 and sued the county soon after, claiming in court documents that Anderson’s harassment ruined her reputation and career with the county.—
Mary Divine,
Twin Cities,
4 Apr. 2025
-
The problem lies once kids become tech savvy and a simple Google search can ruin the fun.—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Instead, this was the message sent: Booth screwed up by signing Dario Saric and gave up too many picks to shed Reggie Jackson’s contract.—
Troy Renck,
The Denver Post,
22 Mar. 2025
-
The Gordons have been left deeply screwed up by their deceased father — not just callous and clueless like all the ultra-rich, but unable to maintain healthy relationships with either partners or one another.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
27 Feb. 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.
Cite this Entry
“Bollix (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bollix%20%28up%29. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share