messing (up)

verb

Definition of messing (up)next
present participle of mess (up)
1
as in fumbling
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 disrupting
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 stumbling
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 licking
to strike repeatedly threatened that he would mess him up if he cheated at the game

Synonyms & Similar Words

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for messing (up)
  1. disrupting
  2. licking
  3. pounding
  4. tripping
  5. hiding
  6. shuffling
  7. lashing
  8. disturbing
Verb
  • Protests keep disrupting life in Dhaka, the capital.
    Saif Hasnat Atul Loke, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2024
  • Mass deportations and reductions in legal immigration could lead to significant labor shortages, disrupting productivity and economic stability.
    Solange Charas, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
Definition of disrupting
Verb
  • Could there be a medical reason behind their licking?
    Andy Biggs, Newsweek, 25 Dec. 2024
  • However, many cat owners will hesitate to stop their cats from licking them, to avoid hurting their feelings.
    Andy Biggs, Newsweek, 25 Dec. 2024
Definition of licking
Verb
  • The crowd was so excited that the plexiglass behind us was pounding.
    ABC News, ABC News, 29 Dec. 2024
  • Prepare for fast, heart-pounding action and brutal competition in this multiplayer game.
    Dana Feldman, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024
Definition of pounding
Verb
  • Don't Use An Extension Cord In general, extension cords aren't a great idea because of the tripping hazard and the potential for overheating.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 5 Jan. 2025
  • For older people with weaker bones, tripping while walking can sometimes cause a fracture.
    Maggie Aime, MSN, Health, 25 Dec. 2024
Definition of tripping
Verb
  • Rushdie himself was attacked on stage at an event in upstate New York in 2022 after coming out of hiding.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 27 Dec. 2024
  • Rushdie himself was attacked on stage at an event in upstate New York in 2022 after coming out of hiding.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 27 Dec. 2024
Definition of hiding
Verb
  • But the $12 billion decline in his fortune has more to do with asset shuffling than stock price movement.
    Julie Goldenberg, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
  • James has been shuffling back and forth between the NBA and the G League.
    Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
Definition of shuffling
Verb
  • The fight led to Musk lashing out at his opponents on X, who accused him of demonetizing or suspending them.
    Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 3 Jan. 2025
  • The fight led to Musk lashing out at his opponents on X, who accused him of demonetizing or suspending them.
    Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 3 Jan. 2025
Definition of lashing
Verb
  • Experts warn that an afternoon or evening coffee could disrupt your circadian rhythm, disturbing your sleep.
    Jenna Anderson, Health, 7 Jan. 2025
  • The Piano Teacher asks you (and teaches you) to stick with disturbing moments and unpleasant characters.
    Ilana Masad, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2025
Definition of disturbing
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Thesaurus Entries Near messing (up)

messing over

messing (up)

messing (with)

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Messing (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messing%20%28up%29. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Using Bullet Points ( • )

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Top 12 Sophisticated Compliments

Word of the Year 2024 | Polarization

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
white rubber duck stands out in a row of yellow ducks
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.