COCK-UPS Synonyms: 40 Similar and Opposite Words

cock-ups

noun

plural of cock-up, British

as in shambles

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for cock-ups

Noun

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 botches

Noun

Covers shield upholstery from coffee spills, food stains, pet accidents and everyday messes.

— Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Oct. 2026
Coffee spills, muddy shoes, pet mishaps, and everyday messes don’t have to turn into decorating disasters.

— Ethan Stone October 9, Idaho Statesman, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of messes

Noun

Since 2024, the state and federal governments have spent over half a billion dollars on disasters in Ruidoso — nine times the village’s annual budget.

— Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026
These same companies continue to kill the clean energy that is not only cheaper, but try to side-step their glaring responsibility for the increasing cascade of climate disasters.

— Tom Tapp, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of disasters

Noun

Contained within all these fiascoes is a subtly different conservative movement.

— Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2026
Trump is the most corrupt and scandal-plagued president since Nixon; indeed, his fiascoes eclipse Nixon’s, but many of them remain mostly or somewhat hidden, thanks in part to a much more acquiescent Republican Congress than the one Nixon had.

— David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2026

Definition of fiascoes

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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cock-up

cock-ups

cocky

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“Cock-ups.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cock-ups. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of cock-ups

noun

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