Alternate word/phrase for “Screw up”/“f*** up”/“mess up” [closed]

Question

If I want to tell something like :

Let's not do it. It will _____ up the whole plan.

Any of the phrases mentioned in the title can be used, but none of them sounds good.

I'm looking for a good alternative.

Answer 1

A good alternative is entirely dependant on the context. Depending on the genre, location in the narrative; There are any number of good alternatives. I will first offer some suggestions which are an attempt to censor the commonly used idiom, i.e. make acceptable phraseology of a common term (for a quote in a contemporary fiction). Then I will follow with some more specific uses, which would be better suited to more deliberate prose. However, these suggestions should be adapted to your writing.

Your question seems to suggest you want a auxiliary verb with the "up" there;

"It will goof up the whole plan."
"It will muddle up the whole plan."
"It will foul up the whole plan."

"It will destroy the whole plan."
"It will upset the whole plan."
"It will wreck the whole plan."

"It will capsize the whole plan."
"It will spoil the whole plan."
"It will frustrate the whole plan."

These are some suggestions. However I really believe the best answer to your question is to find a thesaurus, look-up words which you think may be good replacements, and find the best suited word for your context! You must choose a word that suits that character who is saying it, the situation it is addressing, this way you will find your best alternative.

Answer 2

Well, in more formal English you could say "jeopardise", "compromise" or "ruin", for example.

Answer 3

You could say:

Let's not do it. It will spoil the whole plan.

Spoil means "to impair the completeness, perfection, or unity of; flaw grievously: spoiled the party."