as in fumbled
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
I swear, she mucks up everything she tries
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Recent Examples of mucked up
Even in the harshest descriptions of the violence and almost unbelievably cruel twists of fate that Yarris endured (the DNA testing keeps getting accidentally mucked up), Brody lends him a vital indomitable spark.
—
Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
Toronto is a good defensive team but doesn’t shoot the 3-ball well and has a half-court offense that can get mucked up and relies heavily on midrange jumpers.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Well, the first and third mucked up their stories with some overly contrived lore about cults and gods, and the fourth was an experiment for the formula that didn’t quite work.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026
Lawmakers need to get back to Washington to end the government shutdown - a shutdown that has mucked up travel plans around the country by contributing to widespread flight delays.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 11 Nov. 2025
Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
Toronto is a good defensive team but doesn’t shoot the 3-ball well and has a half-court offense that can get mucked up and relies heavily on midrange jumpers.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Well, the first and third mucked up their stories with some overly contrived lore about cults and gods, and the fourth was an experiment for the formula that didn’t quite work.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026
Lawmakers need to get back to Washington to end the government shutdown - a shutdown that has mucked up travel plans around the country by contributing to widespread flight delays.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 11 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mucked up
Verb
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The attempt to create a viable and vibrant residential hub arrives after years of neglect and fumbled strategies by the prior owner, an affiliate of Z&L Properties.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
19 May 2026
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The city fumbled the rollout of the parks bond and now the residents are paying — in both money and exasperation, Inserra noted.—
Susannah Bryan,
Sun Sentinel,
14 May 2026
Verb
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The two screwed up a tilt-a-whirl spot, but Breakker made up for it with a standing moonsault.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2026
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The Sens are going to lose their pick for nothing at all, because of how a GM their fans didn’t like screwed up a trade his team wasn’t even involved in.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Avs blew a first-quarter lead.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
25 May 2026
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The timing is simply right for New York, while Cleveland had its best chance to change that in Game 1 — and blew it.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
24 May 2026
Verb
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If outdoor dining is being ruined by buzzing pests, the Gootop bug zapper may be the easiest way to reclaim your outdoor space (and your cheeseburger)!—
Jeaneen Russell,
PEOPLE,
20 May 2026
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Caputo claimed the second probe lasted until the end of 2025, and both investigations drained his family’s savings, ruined his career, and impacted his health, among other things.—
Siladitya Ray,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Verb
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But their strategy was fouled up when the car’s occupants switched on the headlights, throwing a glare up the tote road along which the wardens had planned to sprint.—
Dave Duffey,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
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Wild turkeys gobbled up Staten Island straphangers’ time on Monday, after a flock fouled up service on the Staten Island Railway.—
Evan Simko-Bednarski,
New York Daily News,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In December of that year, a group subsequently called the Paxton Boys murdered six individuals there, setting fire to their homes in the early dawn of a snowy day Another fourteen residents had been away at the time.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
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During the original 2014 outbreak, fear and distrust became so severe in parts of Guinea that healthcare teams were attacked, Red Cross burial teams were assaulted, and Ebola education workers were murdered.—
Steve Brozak,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026
Verb
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The city of Minneapolis reported that small businesses lost $81 million in January as a result of a similar federal operation, dubbed Operation Metro Surge.—
Jack O'Connor,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
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Astronomers have dubbed the ancient galaxy Loki, after the Norse god of mischief.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mucked up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mucked%20up. Accessed 27 May. 2026.
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