cock-up

British

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cock-up
Noun
  • Of the other methods – including electrocution, lethal gas and hanging – lethal injection had the highest botch rate of more than 7%. ‘An embrace of brutality’ Still, states have remained averse to the firing squad, a position that experts who spoke to CNN believe stems from its overt violence.
    Dakin Andone, CNN Money, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Braden Mann’s botch of the opening kickoff, Luke McCaffrey’s 47-yard return and Jeremiah Trotter Jr.’s unnecessary roughness penalty embodied the sloppy play that’s recently been awarding opponents advantageous field position.
    The Athletic NFL Staff, The Athletic, 26 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • Brit, trying to find her footing after the mess Kenya unleashed, opens up to the group.
    Shelby Stewart, Essence, 14 Apr. 2025
  • If the mess is semi-solid, use a sturdy piece of cardboard, a paper plate, or another flat surface, as a scoop.
    Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • There’s the Hail Mary fiasco and its fallout, but Stevenson also continued to rotate with Smith last season.
    Kevin Fishbain, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025
  • Those are problems, not fiascos, and problems happen.
    Ina Fried, Axios, 17 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Those searching for catharsis or an applicable remedy to their own heartaches and existential muddles will find only one definitive answer—that no person can ever fully know her own mind.
    Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2025
  • Paris’ increasingly one-sided support of Haftar will only add to the thick muddle of foreign interference in the Libyan conflict.
    Jalel Harchaoui, Foreign Affairs, 21 Sep. 2017
Noun
  • The disaster led to passage of the Federal Coal Mine and Safety Act, which in turn added the miners' surveillance program under the respiratory health division at NIOSH.
    Yuki Noguchi, NPR, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Last month, the EU Commission urged its 450 million citizens to stockpile enough food, water and essentials for 72 hours in the event of emergencies like cyberattacks, climate disasters, disease and also geopolitical conflicts.
    Vivian Song, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • In addition to making this point, Justice Sonia Sotomayor lays out in her dissent many of the other absurdities and legal sleights-of-hand that undergird this debacle.
    New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Newsom participated in the debacle at the top, which was caused by a physically declining President Biden insisting on running for reelection.
    George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 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.

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Cite this Entry

“Cock-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cock-up. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.

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