1
as in jumble
a state in which everything is out of order
things at the newly built school were all in a muddle on opening day
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2
as in daze
a state of mental confusion
I was in such a muddle after the accident that I didn't know where I was
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3
as in confusion
a state of mental uncertainty
the new, supposedly improved forms simply put taxpayers in a bigger muddle
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4
as in variety
an unorganized collection or mixture of various things
a muddle of old magazines piled on the shelves
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1
as in to confuse
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
a car shopper thoroughly muddled by too much well-meaning advice
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2
as in to disrupt
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
some mischievous brat had muddled the household accounts
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of muddle
Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2024
Or perhaps the current muddle will continue, to the further detriment of British soft power and global influence, already dwindling after the country’s departure from the European Union.
—Simon J. Potter, Foreign Affairs, 31 July 2023
Aila Slisco, Newsweek, 20 Nov. 2024
What to watch: The October jobs report was muddled by hurricane and strike disruptions.
—Courtenay Brown, Axios, 3 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for muddle 
Noun
Johnny Depp To Receive Lifetime Achievement Award & Screen ‘Modi’ At Rome Film Festival
Watch on Deadline
Just to be clear, Modi is not the terrible muddle of self-aggrandizement that was widely expected — not all of it, anyway.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2024
Or perhaps the current muddle will continue, to the further detriment of British soft power and global influence, already dwindling after the country’s departure from the European Union.
—Simon J. Potter, Foreign Affairs, 31 July 2023
Verb
Immigrant advocacy groups have President to muddle Trump's plans using measures like closing immigrant detention centers and granting humanitarian parole to detained migrants before the government changes hands.
—Aila Slisco, Newsweek, 20 Nov. 2024
What to watch: The October jobs report was muddled by hurricane and strike disruptions.
—Courtenay Brown, Axios, 3 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for muddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muddle
Noun
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Owners’ names now read like jumbles of computer code, retirement homes or rock bands: Silver Sage, Dream Homes, Blue Apple, P Fin VII, Wref II, 3xs2, Vivid, Straight Red Lines, TKJK, Jags Proper.Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 24 June 2024
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Think of it instead as a Rube Goldberg machine, reimagining doodles as dense jumbles of steps and if-then rules.The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2024
Noun
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Hundreds of users expressed their amazement and confusion, with some not fully understanding the meaning of Irish triplets.David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Dec. 2024
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In art and politics equally, 2024 has been—to me, at least—a swerving journey between high peaks and low depths, blind confusions and piercing revelations, the crooked and the straight.Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2024
Noun
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There are a variety of credit cards available to many different credit profiles, including easy-to-get card options for those with bad credit or no credit at all.Ryley Amond, CNBC, 23 Dec. 2024
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O’Grady gained notice in the arts world after working in a variety of other roles, including as a research economist and a rock critic.Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 23 Dec. 2024
Verb
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This specific design broke the decoy’s shape into smaller visual fragments, confusing the predators.Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
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Some reports by think tanks and on social media appear to confuse TdA with South American theft groups (SATG) operating in the Midwest.Bethany Blankley | The Center Square contributor, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 29 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Altered water levels and temperatures can also disrupt ecosystems, harming native species while benefiting invasive ones like zebra mussels.David Faris, Newsweek, 28 Dec. 2024
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The eruption of Mount Tambora is a stark reminder of nature’s power to disrupt and inspire, even as climate change throws a shadow over our world today.Scott Travers, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Tottenham, meanwhile, ended up going for Ange Postecoglou after being rejected by Slot and are still in the same old mess.Oli Gamp, The Athletic, 22 Dec. 2024
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It's been a mess of a season for both teams, with Mac Jones now starting at quarterback for Jacksonville and Las Vegas going with either Desmond Ridder or Aidan O'Connell.Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 20 Dec. 2024
Noun
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In the late summer haze, none of us challenge whether this is fact or myth—the telling of it is what matters most.Kurt Johnson, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Dec. 2024
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The winter haze is often caused by an atmospheric phenomenon called an inversion, which can trap smoke, dust and other pollutants in stagnant air.Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 20 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Central Florida had a dense fog advisory that lifted around 8 a.m. Cloudy skies are expected to be mostly throughout the area, according to NWS Melbourne.Garfield Hylton, Orlando Sentinel, 20 Dec. 2024
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In east-central Florida, the NWS said there may be widespread dense fog advisory through to 10 a.m. Friday.Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near muddle
Cite this Entry
“Muddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muddle. Accessed 4 Jan. 2025.
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