1
as in jumbles
a state in which everything is out of order
the bachelor party had left the house in a total mess
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in meals
food eaten or prepared for eating at one time
a mess of oatmeal
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in horrors
something unpleasant to look at
the car was a mess after the accident
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in loads
a considerable amount
an unexpected Super Bowl loss that unleashed a whole mess of finger-pointing and second-guessing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in interferes
to interest oneself in what is not one's concern
please don't mess with me while I'm trying to concentrate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of messes
Sherri Gordon, Parents, 10 Feb. 2026
Avoid jumbled messes by opting for divided organizers or smaller containers when trying to corral tiny items.
—Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Feb. 2026
Make sure to clean up spills and messes as soon as the oven cools down to prevent buildup.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 6 Feb. 2026
Another part of me thinks that shielding him from the consequences would teach him that someone will always clean up his messes.
—Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
Cleaning vinegar is a powerful, eco-friendly solution that can tackle tough household messes better than white vinegar.
—Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 25 Jan. 2026
Use a baking soda paste to tackle stuck-on messes, then rinse and dry to avoid streaks.
—Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 18 Jan. 2026
Struggling to pull in even the smallest of messes?
—Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 18 Jan. 2026
Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
In Lost Lambs, the internet sabotages a family in much the same way that Napoleon messes things up for the Bezukhovs in Tolstoy’s War and Peace.
—Gideon Leek, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026
Somebody does something terrible and messes it up.
—Giana Levy, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
Noun
Picking dog hair off of my clothes and cleaning up the potty messes outside (and potentially inside) were not my idea of fun.
—Sherri Gordon, Parents, 10 Feb. 2026
Avoid jumbled messes by opting for divided organizers or smaller containers when trying to corral tiny items.
—Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Feb. 2026
Make sure to clean up spills and messes as soon as the oven cools down to prevent buildup.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 6 Feb. 2026
Another part of me thinks that shielding him from the consequences would teach him that someone will always clean up his messes.
—Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
Cleaning vinegar is a powerful, eco-friendly solution that can tackle tough household messes better than white vinegar.
—Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 25 Jan. 2026
Use a baking soda paste to tackle stuck-on messes, then rinse and dry to avoid streaks.
—Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 18 Jan. 2026
Struggling to pull in even the smallest of messes?
—Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 18 Jan. 2026
Verb
Each has a meltdown worthy of a telenovela, messes with the crime scene and hours later the police are called.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
In Lost Lambs, the internet sabotages a family in much the same way that Napoleon messes things up for the Bezukhovs in Tolstoy’s War and Peace.
—Gideon Leek, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026
Somebody does something terrible and messes it up.
—Giana Levy, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for messes
Noun
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The result also spotlights conference championships’ awkward fit in the current system, particularly given the fact that conference expansion has led to jumbles atop each league’s standings.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
7 Dec. 2025
-
Ray’s most chaotic photograms—jumbles that push out of the frame or look like time bombs ready to explode—find echoes in his films, projected on the back walls, a show in themselves.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
For families This family-friendly resort offers a Kids For All Seasons program, family movie nights, kite-making activity, and more—plus complimentary kids’ menu meals for children ages five and under.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Her restaurant, the Prairie Hill Café, provided meals to neighbors whose homes or businesses were destroyed or heavily damaged.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Derry Girls, which followed teens in McGee’s native Derry in the years preceding 1998’s Good Friday Agreement, was a raucous, joke-dense show that juxtaposed mundane adolescent rites of passage with the daily horrors of life in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
13 Feb. 2026
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Throughout, emotion churns and chafes against a backdrop of political unrest, corporate malfeasance, and the everyday horrors that erode modern life.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
When using the dishwasher or washing machine, run full loads to maximize usage of the water.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The 2026 Super Bowl had loads of celebrities cheering on their favorite team from the VIP boxes—Jay-Z, Kendall Jenner, Saweetie, Rosé, and Travis Scott among them.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
If Washington overtly interferes in European elections or takes the dramatic step of annexing Greenland, the postwar alliance framework, already strained, could fracture.—
Ian Bremmer,
Time,
6 Jan. 2026
-
This Ministry frequently interferes in employers’ decisions, instigates acts of discrimination by authorities and organizations, brings weight to bear on the organs of justice and even orchestrates propaganda campaigns in the media.—
Jonny Diamond,
Literary Hub,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Smith stays largely mum on the news of the day, be that Kirk’s killing, or ICE raids, or whatever hells await in the coming weeks.—
Sam Kestenbaum,
Vulture,
2 Jan. 2026
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The protagonist's youth doesn't defang the story, as Silent Hill f wastes no time thrusting Hinako and her friends into their personal hells.—
Zackery Cuevas,
PC Magazine,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Everything on the menus is created in-house from seasonal, organic ingredients, many of which come from the fruit trees that dot the grounds and the two-acre garden.—
Mandy Ellis,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The idea is for restaurants to offer menus priced to encourage new and returning customers to come in.—
Laurie Ochoa,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
For Hernando, these sights and smells once belonged to everyday life.—
Pau Mosquera,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
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Get an exclusive first look at the sights and sounds to come at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Messes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messes. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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