1
as in fumbling
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
messed up the drawing and had to start over
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disrupting
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 stumbling
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 licking
to strike repeatedly
threatened that he would mess him up if he cheated at the game
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for messing (up)
Verb
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Then, after starting the second half by fumbling the ball away at the Rebels’ 17, the Cougars’ next two drives ended in two more Belinske-Strauss touchdown runs – the second of which came on a possession that started at the Champlin Park 1 after a high snap on a Rebels’ punt attempt.—
Frank Rajkowski,
Twin Cities,
13 Sep. 2025 -
Boise State played an uneven first half in Tampa, fumbling twice and committing a huge penalty that gave life to a South Florida touchdown drive.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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However, the president’s criticism of mail-in ballots could risk disrupting the inroads Republicans made with voters last cycle, with the party spending millions promoting mail-in ballots ahead of the 2024 election.—
Hailey Bullis,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Sep. 2025
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The limitations placed on these researchers is disrupting NASA’s work and could stymie the careers of younger Chinese researchers who came to the US to advance their scientific work, as well as benefit the space agency through their findings, the sources said.—
Andrew Freedman,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The episode ends with a surreal, graphic deepfake scene of a totally nude Donald Trump stumbling around a desert.—
Nick Marx,
The Conversation,
11 Sep. 2025
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Inside the agency, Dudek, ill-prepared for leadership or for DOGE’s murky agenda, was stumbling through the chaos in part by creating some of his own.—
Eli Hager,
ProPublica,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That could look like gliding your fingers down them, kissing, licking, or gently biting those areas.—
Essence,
Essence,
11 Sep. 2025
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In the video, the sound of Bambi's stomping, licking, meowing and general everyday life has delighted viewers.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As health restrictions discouraged people from blowing directly into instruments, Gajewski and Brown reimagined the design.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Sep. 2025
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Soldiers have also been spotted in parks carrying out tasks typically assigned to gardeners and landscapers – shoveling mulch, blowing leaves and scooping up trash.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But the truth is, the Rockies (41-109) are tripping toward the finish line.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
14 Sep. 2025
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In my heavy-tripping state, the taste is glorious.—
R29 Team,
Refinery29,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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One end of the spectrum are stress fracture, which are very small, often described as hairline fractures that result from repetitive force and pounding to the bone over time.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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It’s typed with such pounding despair and fury that certain letters of the alphabet actually tear through the paper (this was an old, manual typewriter).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Since its creation in 2007, only about 2% of applicants had successfully received forgiveness before the pandemic, largely due to confusing eligibility rules and administrative mismanagement.—
Leadership Brainery,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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Beneficiaries would have to verify their own identities by using an often-confusing web portal or by traveling to a field office to do it in person.—
Eli Hager,
ProPublica,
8 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Messing (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messing%20%28up%29. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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