1
as in fumbled
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 disrupted
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 stumbled
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 licked
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 messed (up)
Verb
-
McCarthy looked lost and fumbled the ball three times under pressure.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025 -
Seconds thereafter, the Clippers fumbled the ball away once again, setting up Gloucester with another short field.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Europe accelerated spending on renewables and energy efficiency after Russia's invasion of Ukraine disrupted natural gas supplies.—
Jeff Young,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Foreign business confidence in China has declined since Covid-19 when pandemic restrictions disrupted supply chains — the domestic economy has remained sluggish, dragged down by a real estate slump and overcapacity in industrial sectors.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Wildcats stumbled early but got hot in October, won 10 games, beat Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl and were one of the biggest surprises in the country.—
Jon Wilner,
Mercury News,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The Patriots stumbled at the start of the Mike Vrabel era last week, dropping a winnable game to the Raiders at home as favorites.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Show Viz Nuno Espirito Santo’s Nottingham Forest had counter-attacking licked.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The afternoon sun licked the windscreen of the car, and the heat boiled my skin.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
At one point, O’Steen was confused by a question, and the resulting back-and-forth was reminiscent of an Abbott and Costello repartee.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Sep. 2025
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It should not be confused with Article 5, the cornerstone of the alliance, which states an armed attack on one NATO ally will be considered an act of violence against all members and prompt assistance to the member concerned.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Coen repeatedly pounded his chest, seemingly signaling that Lawrence needed to hit his receivers lower.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Eighteen students who fled from the shooting took shelter at a home just down the road, after an initial group of them pounded on the door asking for help, resident Don Cygan told 9News.—
Katie Langford,
Boston Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
According to the police report following Trigg's death, the boy tripped while playing with an inflatable chair and was in the water for nearly seven minutes before being found by his father.—
Wren Smetana,
AZCentral.com,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Finn simply tripped in an environment that was not set up to be safe for him.—
Bridget Fogarty,
jsonline.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The president has frequently lashed out at celebrities who have spoken out against him, recently including the likes of Taylor Swift, Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel.—
Michael Nied,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
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Ben-Gvir, who leads a small far-right ultranationalist party, lashed out at the court ruling Sunday.—
Natalie Melzer,
Twin Cities,
8 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Messed (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messed%20%28up%29. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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