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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And Volodymyr Zelenskyy also fumbled the bag pretty hard.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
2 Mar. 2025 -
Arriving in England in 1929, Queenie fumbled around on the edges of the entertainment business, hoping to be an actor.—
Carolyn Kellogg,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
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According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), individuals may not block access to sidewalks or buildings, disrupt counterprotests, or engage in speech that is obscene, makes knowingly false statements of fact, or incites immediate violence or dangerous disturbances.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
5 Mar. 2025
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Every year, earthquakes claim victims and cost billions in direct economic loss, damaging or destroying homes, tearing down infrastructure, rendering production sites inoperable, and disrupting transport lines.—
David Bressan,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
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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
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Skype won attention in the 2000s for giving people a way to talk without paying the phone company, but stumbled in the mobile era and didn’t enjoy a major resurgence during the pandemic.—
Jordan Novet,
CNBC,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Aretha started singing some deep gospel licks that — especially when heard up close — were powerful and dramatic.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
5 Mar. 2025
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The video was followed by a black-and-white photo of Hobbs licking the Moana star's face and a clip of him playfully biting his hand.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
People.com,
25 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The Knicks blew a 19-point lead, and Philadelphia stormed back to take a 97-96 advantage with 3:59 left in the fourth quarter.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
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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Imani Randolph, a model and creator, recalls her mom’s upbringing in the Bronx where effort wasn’t hidden, it was celebrated.—
Daisy Maldonado,
Vogue,
26 Feb. 2025
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The good news is that new data solutions are emerging to help businesses finally unlock the potential hidden within their data.—
Lalit Patil,
Forbes,
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 9 Mar. 2025.
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