COCK-UP Synonyms: 40 Similar and Opposite Words

cock-up

noun

Definition of cock-up

British

as in shambles

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cock-up

Noun

Of course this was a calculated power play, not a bureaucratic botch.

— U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
During last week's WWE SmackDown, a series of mistakes and botches drew harsh criticism from fans.

— Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025

Definition of botch

Noun

Harry's decision comes amid an ongoing security fiasco concerning the safety of Meghan Markle and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

— Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 5 July 2026
Add in a fiasco of a camp, where celebrities had access to the team’s hotel, and subpar performances in defeats against Uruguay, Russia and Saudi Arabia, and the hoodoo appeared stronger than ever.

— Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 4 July 2026

Definition of fiasco

Noun

Although its advocates may claim inspiration from both the Great Society tradition of the Democratic Party and Nordic-style democratic socialism, consumer socialism is really a muddle of the two.

— Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026
Between the players on the pitch, the coaches, the pundits and the public, there seems to be a muddle of agendas.

— Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 26 June 2026

Definition of muddle

Noun

Rodríguez said numerous public officials died in the disaster, including security personnel, municipal employees and military officers.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 July 2026
The Boyle Heights blaze, similar to the Eaton and Palisades fires, has revealed the region’s air monitoring can’t always tell people what they’ve been exposed to in a disaster.

— Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026

Definition of disaster

Noun

In the work of fiction, the ship is taken over to prevent catastrophe.

— Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 5 July 2026
The young girls are referred to as Heaven’s 27 by their surviving families, who are determined to honor their legacy by ensuring such a catastrophe never happens again.

— Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 4 July 2026

Definition of catastrophe

Noun

The housing debacle was one of several times recently that Trump suddenly threw a wrench in Republican leaders’ plans.

— Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 2 July 2026
This debacle is the subject of The Drive‘s latest YouTube video, hosted by my friend (and boss) Kyle Cheromcha.

— Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 2 July 2026

Definition of debacle

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.

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cocktails

cock-up

cock-ups

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“Cock-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cock-up. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of cock-up

noun

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