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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United goalkeeper Altay Bayındır fumbled the ball on the edge of his area, allowing Villa forward Morgan Rogers to take possession and put the ball into the net.—
George Ramsay,
CNN Money,
26 May 2025 -
Minnesota Vikings: Aaron Jones — Jones came up in the discussion about fumbling, but that will not stop him from being the leading backfield producer for the Vikings.—
Jake Ciely,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
Verb
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The earthquake disrupted the World Series and damaged the Bay Bridge, Oakland’s Cypress Freeway, and swaths of San Francisco.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
8 June 2025
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The strict licensing system has significantly disrupted the global supplies of these materials and triggered production turmoil across industries in America and Europe, raising alarms among officials and businesses alike.—
Nectar Gan,
CNN Money,
7 June 2025
Verb
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On a remote island in northern Norway, metal detectorists stumbled upon a pair of bronze treasures.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2025
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While sorting through storage in their Rhode Island studio to prep those reissues, Ivy stumbled upon a treasure trove of reel-to-reel tapes and old hard drives with unused material.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
4 June 2025
Verb
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The flames that licked through the football fields and tennis courts at Pali High devoured touchstones of an iconic campus—featured in films like Carrie and Freaky Friday.—
Simmone Shah,
Time,
5 June 2025
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Besides, Angela already got her lick back from Porsha’s comments about Charles by instigating the already precarious relationship between Porsha and her bestie and bringing Drew the news that Porsha filmed with Dennis.—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
2 June 2025
Verb
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Failing to install the tax would blow an additional $80 million hole in Chicago’s 2026 budget as the city already faces a budget gap of around $1 billion, Budget Director Annette Guzman said.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
4 June 2025
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Wind blows the dust into the atmosphere and begins moving it westward over the Atlantic Ocean.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 June 2025
Verb
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Longer trips sail to Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico, and Honduras.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 June 2025
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First, Kane, who took four penalties in Monday’s Game 3, was called for high-sticking forward Tomas Nosek and then Nurse tripped Barkov.—
David Furones,
Sun Sentinel,
13 June 2025
Verb
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Elections and Certifications Don’t confuse a benefit or B corporation with a B Corp.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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The measures are set to take effect on Monday and have left many Haitians confused.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2025
Verb
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The idea is simple: guests hide small rubber ducks around the ship for others to find.—
David Nikel,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2025
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Diesel plays Kaulder, a cursed immortal knight who is tasked with keeping rogue witches in line and hidden from the general populace.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
13 June 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 17 Jun. 2025.
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