muddled; muddling
ˈməd-liŋ 
ˈmə-dᵊl-iŋ
2
: to befog or stupefy (see stupefy sense 1) especially with liquor
The drink muddled him and his voice became loud and domineering.
3
: to mix confusedly
muddles the household accounts
4
: to make a mess of : bungle
muddled themselves into the most indefensible positions—
A. N. Whitehead
A. N. Whitehead
: to think or act in a confused aimless way
She muddled along for a year before going to college.
1
: a state of especially mental confusion
2
: a confused mess
Synonyms
Examples of muddle in a Sentence
Verb
a car shopper thoroughly muddled by too much well-meaning advice
some mischievous brat had muddled the household accounts
Noun
His papers were in a muddle.
His mind was a muddle.
Recent Examples on the Web
Mark Carey, The Athletic, 9 Feb. 2025
In a tall glass, gently muddle an additional three to five mint leaves.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 7 Feb. 2025
airmail.news, 26 Oct. 2024
Microsoft is stepping in to try to straighten up this muddle of conceptually similar, executionally different technologies with a new API called DirectSR (the SR is for Super Resolution).
—Ars Technica, 29 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for muddle 
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Verb
Tweaking/changing systems may show adaptability, but also muddled thinking.
—Mark Carey, The Athletic, 9 Feb. 2025
In a tall glass, gently muddle an additional three to five mint leaves.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 7 Feb. 2025
Noun
Or, even better, quadruple down on the lies, insults, and hours-long muddles of sentence-fragment non sequiturs that pass for campaign speeches (Donald Trump, 37.3 percent).
—airmail.news, 26 Oct. 2024
Microsoft is stepping in to try to straighten up this muddle of conceptually similar, executionally different technologies with a new API called DirectSR (the SR is for Super Resolution).
—Ars Technica, 29 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for muddle
Dictionary Entries Near muddle
Cite this Entry
“Muddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/muddle. Accessed 13 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
muddle
2 of 2 noun1
: a state of confusion or bewilderment
2
: a confused mess : jumble
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