foul up vs fail

foul up and fail both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
foul up	No	No	Yes	No
fail	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, fail is a hypernym of foul up; that is, fail is a word with a broader meaning than foul up:

Other hypernyms of foul up include go wrong, miscarry.

foul up (verb)	fail (verb)
make a mess of, destroy or ruin	stop operating or functioning
	deteriorate
	prove insufficient
	disappoint, prove undependable to; abandon, forsake
	become bankrupt or insolvent; fail financially and close
	be unsuccessful
	fail to get a passing grade
	fail to do something; leave something undone
	judge unacceptable
	be unable
	fall short in what is expected