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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Messes: The Blue Jays are fumbling a star It’s been a tough few years for the Blue Jays and high-end baseball talent.—
Chris Branch,
The Athletic,
19 Feb. 2025 -
The Best Wireless Chargers to Refuel Your Phone (or Watch) Stop fumbling for cables in the dark.—
Boutayna Chokrane,
WIRED,
17 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Canal authorities were forced to reduce the transits from a typical 36 a day to 24, disrupting global supply chains.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN,
21 Feb. 2025
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Once inhaled, VOCs can mimic the activity of hormones, disrupting the endocrine system.—
Matt Fuchs,
TIME,
21 Feb. 2025
Verb
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However, the Indian stock market has stumbled recently, with the BSE 500 shedding 19% from its recent peak last September—this after climbing 14.8% in 2024 and 25.1% in 2023.—
Garth Friesen,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
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Those concerns came to a head during Biden's debate against now-President Donald Trump in June, when Biden sounded hoarse and appeared to stumble through several answers.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The flames licked at the neighborhood’s outskirts, toasting a few leaves at the perimeter, but didn’t damage a single residence in the community.—
Jack Flemming,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2025
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As Ferrell resumed singing with Johansson, Kardashian and Gasteyer, Wiig proceeded to lick Dooneese’s tiny hands and stroke Johansson’s face, tap on one of Gasteyer’s breasts and pretend to play the drums on Kardashian’s butt.—
Michaela Zee,
Variety,
17 Feb. 2025
Verb
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However, buying everything new for your space can get costly and can easily blow your budget.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
27 Feb. 2025
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Courtenay Brown Feb 14, 2025 - Economy Trump trade plan intensifies The Trump trade war has blown past the realm of tariffs.—
Courtenay Brown,
Axios,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Lamine Yamal caught up with him, bumped into him and tripped the centre back to the ground.—
Laia Cervelló Herrero,
The Athletic,
26 Feb. 2025
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Colorado dropped 13 games in a row to open the conference season before tripping UCF.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
24 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Not to be confused with New Zealand musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
2 Mar. 2025
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Along those lines, a settlement should not be confused with a collective bargaining agreement, which pro teams and unionized employees extinguish or mollify a broader range of potential claims.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Alongside Marvel movie veterans Wesley Snipes as Blade and Jennifer Garner as Elektra, Tatum plays Gambit as a hero hiding in The Void, waiting for his chance to strike at the sadistic Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin).—
Ross Rosenfeld,
Newsweek,
26 Feb. 2025
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Sen both understood Oberon’s desire to hide a secret and recognized a trace of her South Asian accent.—
Carolyn Kellogg,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Feb. 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 Mar. 2025.
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