1
as in havoc
a state in which everything is out of order
the bachelor party had left the house in a total mess
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in meal
food eaten or prepared for eating at one time
a mess of oatmeal
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
4
as in loads
a considerable amount
an unexpected Super Bowl loss that unleashed a whole mess of finger-pointing and second-guessing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to interfere
to interest oneself in what is not one's concern
please don't mess with me while I'm trying to concentrate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mess
Olivia Crandall, Vulture, 18 May 2025
Rather than contributing to the mess, the Keke (Keep Every Kid Engaged) bag keeps every item organized.
—Adrienne So, Wired News, 17 May 2025
Ali Faccenda, People.com, 13 Feb. 2025
Add in a high lottery pick (don’t worry, Raptors fans, Ingram isn’t good enough or healthy enough to mess that up), and their top six salaries alone will push the team to the tax line for a squad that on paper will be fighting for the Play-In.
—John Hollinger, The Athletic, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mess
Noun
The six episodes before this one were more or less wall-to-wall mess.
—Olivia Crandall, Vulture, 18 May 2025
Rather than contributing to the mess, the Keke (Keep Every Kid Engaged) bag keeps every item organized.
—Adrienne So, Wired News, 17 May 2025
Verb
Tackle messes on carpet and hard floors with Shark’s 2-in-1 robot vacuum and mop.
—Ali Faccenda, People.com, 13 Feb. 2025
Add in a high lottery pick (don’t worry, Raptors fans, Ingram isn’t good enough or healthy enough to mess that up), and their top six salaries alone will push the team to the tax line for a squad that on paper will be fighting for the Play-In.
—John Hollinger, The Athletic, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mess
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mess
Noun
-
Minor presents a similar challenge with her speed and ability to create havoc.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2025
-
At 19, Harper’s poise and control are impressive, and even as a below-average outside shooter, his ability to create havoc in the paint and leverage his downhill gravity should translate to the pros immediately.—
The Athletic NBA Staff,
New York Times,
13 May 2025
Noun
-
Scorpios' restaurant welcomes diners for long meals, alfresco.—
Eileen Falkenberg-Hull,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 May 2025
-
Each of 75 winners will get 12 months of deals including free meals, breakfast items and shakes – about $480 worth of deals.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
27 May 2025
Noun
-
Now, bitcoin is trading at late-January highs, and $108,000 — the next key level to watch to the upside — is in sight.—
Tanaya Macheel,
CNBC,
19 May 2025
-
The music was galvanizing, but what really seized his soul was the sight and sound of Pete Townshend’s red Gibson SG Special.—
Nick Paumgarten,
New Yorker,
19 May 2025
Verb
-
The government argues that district courts are expressly barred under the Immigration and Nationality Act from interfering in the execution of final removal orders, particularly under 8 U.S.C. § 1252(g).—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
27 May 2025
-
The only way McAfee wins this is if someone interferes and costs Gunther the match or Gunther beats him so violently that he gets disqualified.—
Jeremy Hanna,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 May 2025
Noun
-
Whether a dream or not, Devon’s definitely in her own personal hell.—
Caroline Framke,
Vulture,
22 May 2025
-
Voters from the United States to the Netherlands have installed far right-wing, anti-immigration, anti-people governments hell bent on punishing migration via the most inhumane measures imaginable.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
Noun
-
The MacMillan Dining Room has an excellent dinner menu with farm-to-table ingredients, including a variety of produce grown directly on-site.—
Kaitlyn McInnis,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
-
The global menu is all over the map, with Japanese sushi rolls, Mediterranean-style lamb chops, and all-American barbecue ribs.—
Annie Archer,
Travel + Leisure,
27 May 2025
Noun
-
Objects are often askew and out of frame, and everyday sounds like a toilet flush or blinds being pulled assume a low, staticky growl, as though frights fueled by childish imagination.—
Gayle Sequeira,
Vulture,
20 Jan. 2025
-
In a second Instagram Stories post, the singer offered another look at the cake, featuring a large bust of a clicker, the fungal zombie-esque frights from the Last of Us video game franchise and HBO series of the same name.—
Gil Macias,
People.com,
13 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
The company also plans to acquire Hailey Bieber’s beauty brand Rhode in a deal worth up to $1 billion .—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
29 May 2025
-
In February 2023, the Suns traded Bridges to the Brooklyn Nets as part of a deal for Kevin Durant.—
Tim Casey,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
Video
Hot Mess
Our research turned up two archaic literal meanings
Cite this Entry
“Mess.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mess. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
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