balls-up

noun

Something which becomes muddled or botched in some way.

“I was making a cake but when I added too much sugar, it became the balls-up of my cooking career.”

Similar
ballupcock-upmess-upcockup
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Meanings

nounballs-up (plural balls-ups)

plural balls-ups

  1. CommonwealthIrelandUKslangvulgarSomething which becomes muddled or botched in some way.

    I was making a cake but when I added too much sugar, it became the balls-up of my cooking career.

    Synonyms: ballup, cock-up, mess-up

Synonyms & antonyms

nounSomething which becomes muddled or botched in some way.

Similar
ballupcock-upmess-up

More synonyms by meaning

nounsomething badly botched or muddled

Similar
ballupcockupmess-up
Broader
mistakeerrorfault
Also see
cockupmess-up

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Balls in this sense refers to testicles. See also the verb, to balls up and go balls up.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

balls-up. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/balls-up

MLA

“balls-up.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/balls-up. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “balls-up,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/balls-up.

Source: balls-up on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.