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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Lose Aaron Jones, and the offense will hinge on Jordan Mason, who has a mountain to climb in pass protection, and rookie Demond Claiborne, who fumbled five times in 179 carries last season at Wake Forest.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
22 May 2026 -
In doing so, the TV adaptation fumbled the comics’ superior final act, turning Butcher’s own ignominious death at the hands of Hughie into an ineffective afterthought.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
20 May 2026
Verb
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Understanding these unexpected auroras could improve forecasts of dangerous space weather, which can disrupt satellites, GPS systems, communications and even power grids during extreme solar storms.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
26 May 2026
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The fears that artificial intelligence will disrupt its business are alive and well, as Bank of America's sell call on the stock last week shows.—
Kevin Stankiewicz,Zev Fima,
CNBC,
25 May 2026
Verb
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In contrast, André Burakovsky and Artyom Levshunov stumbled through forgettable seasons.—
Kalen Lumpkins,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
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Teenage girls, battered in the storm after Joplin High School’s graduation, stumble and limp toward the hospital in pretty summer dresses soaked in blood.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
22 May 2026
Verb
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The parallels between Ines’ dilemma and that of a nation being asked to lick its wounds in silence — in the name of moving on from past miseries — are present but elusive.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
14 May 2026
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At one point A’zion licks the digitally de-aged Mick Jagger’s face.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
Verb
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But questions about his future in Boston have swirled since the Celtics blew a 3-1 series lead en route to their first opening-round playoff exit since 2021.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
26 May 2026
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Trump may also be extrapolating from his first term, and especially his first impeachment, when people in the government blew the whistle on his attempts to blackmail Ukraine into investigating Joe Biden and his family.—
Tom Nichols,
The Atlantic,
26 May 2026
Verb
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Darby tried a suicide dive, but tripped on the ropes and landed on the back of his neck for a scary landing.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2026
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McCartney has some good company this time, anyway, in his cheerful time-tripping.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
23 May 2026
Verb
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Ramírez, half-awake, was confused as to why Pevey wanted to speak with him.—
Andy Martinez,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
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Schoen’s contract extension is confusing at best.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
22 May 2026
Verb
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Perhaps the best example of that is how much Ware has been utilized in zone defense, an approach that some might contend is hiding the 2024 first-round pick from the direct challenges of his position.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
23 May 2026
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Metal-poor stars are often associated with ancient dwarf galaxies, which the Milky Way might have consumed over time to grow to its current massive state — and remnants of these cosmic meals might be hiding deep within the galaxy.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
23 May 2026
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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 27 May. 2026.
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