backfire -
When a plan fails, and it has the opposite result of what was intended.
The politician tried to hide his assets, in order to appear like a common man. But his plan backfired when they were revealed, and people saw that he was a liar.
audio
2 of38 Bad /
Mistake
nounverb noun
flop -
A failure
When no one bought tickets for the play after opening night, the producer realized that it was going to be a flop.
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3 of38 Bad /
Mistake
adjective
negligent -
To mistakenly fail to do something that should have been done
Bill admitted that he was negligent in not locking the door, and as a result the house was robbed.
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4 of38 Bad /
Mistake
verb
squander -
Waste (something, especially money or time) in a reckless and foolish manner
Many lottery winners end up squandering their fortune and returning to their life of poverty.
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5 of38 Bad /
Mistake
nounverb verb
stumble -
Trip or momentarily lose one's balance; almost fall
Danny ran too fast and stumbled, spilling his coffee on the floor.
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6 of38 Bad /
Mistake
noun
Picture
Mix-up -
An error resulting from things being wrongly arranged or identified.
There was a mix-up at the airport, and my luggage went to the wrong city.
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7 of38 Bad /
Mistake
nounverb verb
fumble -
Use the hands clumsily while doing or handling something
The football player fumbled the ball, so the opposing players tried to grab it.
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8 of38 Bad /
Mistake
noun
glitch -
A sudden, unexpected, and usually temporary malfunction of equipment such as a computer
The space shuttle take-off was canceled with 2 seconds left in the countdown, due to a glitch discovered in the fuel supply.
audio
9 of38 Bad /
Mistake
verb
flub -
To fail or make a mistake
The outfielder flubbed the catch when the baseball flew past him.
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10 of38 Bad /
Mistake
adjective
disconcerting -
Making someone feel uncertain, uncomfortable or worried
Linda had a disconcerting habit of speaking before thinking about what she should say.
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11 of38 Bad /
Mistake
verb
bungle -
Carry out a task clumsily or incompetently, leading to failure or an unsatisfactory outcome
The painter bungled his job when he misspelled the word on the road sign.
audio
12 of38 Bad /
Mistake
noun
fluke -
Unlikely chance occurrence, especially a surprising piece of luck
Since he was the worst player on his baseball team, Taylor knew the home run he had just hit was a fluke.
