1
as in to fumble
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
messed up the drawing and had to start over
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to disrupt
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
a nap had messed up her hair and she looked a sight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to stumble
to make a mistake
if anyone messes up even once while we're recording, we have to start all over again
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to lick
to strike repeatedly
threatened that he would mess him up if he cheated at the game
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mess (up)
Verb
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Massey ranged to his left, lost his footing and fumbled the ball.—
Evan Webeck,
Mercury News,
20 May 2025 -
Gutierrez found the jury was confused by antitrust law elements and fumbled a calculation for damages by mistaking an overcharge with a discount.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
13 May 2025
Verb
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An extended pause in scheduling student visas could lead to delays that may disrupt college, boarding-school or exchange students’ plans to enroll in summer and fall terms.—
Annie Ma,
Chicago Tribune,
28 May 2025
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Despite the sharp decline in sales, Capri’s inventories were up 1 percent at the end of the quarter, reflecting $60 million of goods that were brought in earlier than planned in a sourcing landscape that’s been disrupted by President Donald Trump’s trade war.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
28 May 2025
Verb
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Per a fan video, at one point during the show, after spinning his microphone and tossing it towards the audience, Joel appeared to stumble, falling backwards and landing on his side.—
Marina Watts,
People.com,
23 May 2025
-
No one stumbled into creating a billion dollar company, gingerly broke a world record, or cautiously planned and lived their peak life.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
Verb
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Jose shrugs, pleads with her to not lick anyone at the inn, and leaves.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
22 May 2025
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But Fahy, Alcock, and director Nicole Kassell are also very good at their jobs, and so even downright bizarre moments like Simone chewing Michaela’s used gum or Devon randomly licking a landscaper’s neck wind up making a strange sort of sense.—
Caroline Framke,
Vulture,
22 May 2025
Verb
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The weather can play a role too; rain can wash pollen from the air, while a windy day can blow it around, increasing your allergy symptoms.2 How Can You Prevent Allergy Symptoms?—
Kelly Burch Published,
Verywell Health,
23 May 2025
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Julia snuck some matchstick carrots into the potato mixture, then blew my socks off with a punchy, springy topping of feta, mint, dill, and chives.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
23 May 2025
Verb
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Piper Niven tripped Vega while Green was distracting the referee before Raw went to break.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
-
There’s never been any danger that Christopher McQuarrie would trip, fall, and accidentally make Barry Lyndon.—
Paul A. Thompson,
Pitchfork,
30 May 2025
Verb
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Also, this word et cetera at the end of the sentence confused me.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
26 May 2025
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Weir was confused by the man’s unusual conviction, though.—
Louise Erdrich,
New Yorker,
25 May 2025
Verb
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Ukraine was able to smuggle drones deep into Russia by hiding them in the tops of flatbed trucks, which parked near military bases before the drones lifted off to attack planes on the runway.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
2 June 2025
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How Was Antonio Navarro Murdered? At 7:30 a.m. on the morning of Aug. 16, 2017, as Antonio was leaving for work, Salvador hid in the couple’s building garage, according to TIME.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Mess (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mess%20%28up%29. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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