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
Tim Grierson, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2025
The controversy over the mess the Justice Department has made of the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams is about to intensify.
—The Editors, National Review, 21 Feb. 2025
Ars Technica, 10 Feb. 2025
Relying on skills developed as a federal agent with the postal inspection service, a natural ability for calculated problem solving, and a truck with all manner of useful stuff, Carter messes things up.
—John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 25 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mess
Noun
But the film is a total mess, start to finish: a mishmash of It and some military-thriller, monster-movie clichés culminating in a junky special-effects ending that barely makes sense.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2025
The controversy over the mess the Justice Department has made of the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams is about to intensify.
—The Editors, National Review, 21 Feb. 2025
Verb
Almost all these variants messed a little too much with the careful balance of simplicity, readability, reasoning, and luck that made the original Minesweeper so addictive.
—Ars Technica, 10 Feb. 2025
Relying on skills developed as a federal agent with the postal inspection service, a natural ability for calculated problem solving, and a truck with all manner of useful stuff, Carter messes things up.
—John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 25 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mess
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mess
Noun
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Protecting The Future Of 5G And AI The U.S. government has reported that Chinese nation-state threat actor groups have been causing havoc to U.S. critical infrastructure, including telecommunications services.—
Anand Oswal,
Forbes,
24 Feb. 2025
-
For over a year, bird flu has caused havoc in the farming industry, leading to millions of dead birds and thousands of sick cows – and causing egg prices to run up.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA TODAY,
19 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Grateful to sous chef Tré Burns and the crew for putting together that memorable meal.—
Leslie Kelly,
Forbes,
21 Feb. 2025
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The team found that those who ate walnuts had faster reaction times throughout the day and better memory performance by the end of the testing period than those who did not include the nuts in their morning meal.—
Tom Rogers,
Newsweek,
21 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Packed with glycerin, this viral setting spray gives your skin a dewy, refreshed finish while keeping your makeup locked in place—no creasing or flaking in sight for up to 24 hours of wear.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
24 Feb. 2025
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In light of the current uncertain macroeconomic environment characterized by rate cuts and multiple conflicts, could BABA face a situation similar to that of 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 and underperform the S&P over the next 12 months – or is a recovery in sight?—
Trefis Team,
Forbes,
24 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Who Makes the Best of Things Days later, after a two-hour private meeting with Mr. Putin in Helsinki, Mr. Trump repeated the Russian leader’s assertion that Moscow had not interfered in Mr. Trump’s favor in the election.—
Paul Sonne,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2025
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That owner picks the person to lead team ops and doesn’t interfere.—
Arthur Staple,
The Athletic,
19 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The Good Place aired on NBC for four seasons starting in 2016 and featured myriad twists and turns, principally with what the stars thought to be heaven turning out to be hell.—
Dana Rose Falcone,
People.com,
24 Feb. 2025
-
Players are corporate workers in what is basically hell.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
22 Feb. 2025
Noun
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In addition to the birthday cake churros, Taco Bell's dessert menu also features long time favorites the Cinnamon Twists and Cinnabon Delights.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA TODAY,
20 Feb. 2025
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Its ever-changing menu is veg-forward, with dishes such as roasted Japanese sweet potato with labneh, chili crisp and tahini.—
Kin Woo Gisela Williams Amy Conway Kate Maxwell,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2025
Noun
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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
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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
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Families and others rallied again Saturday night in Tel Aviv to pressure Netanyahu's government for a deal to bring everyone else home.—
WAFAA SHURAFA,
TIME,
22 Feb. 2025
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Such a deal would reduce US dependency on China, and provide significant incentive for the United States to boost Ukrainian security, a US official familiar with negotiations told CNN.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN,
22 Feb. 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 6 Mar. 2025.
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