as in messy
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness
a muddled arrangement of trophies in the display case
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in confused
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
a car shopper thoroughly muddled by too much well-meaning advice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disrupted
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
some mischievous brat had muddled the household accounts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of muddled
Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 15 June 2026
So the relationship of high rates for long-term CDs and low rates for short-term CDs remains muddled.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 11 June 2026
Guests still arrive early, order a brandy Old Fashioned—made the local way, without muddled fruit—and settle in for the experience.
—Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026
To wit, Tuesday’s primary—particularly the free-for-all campaign for governor to succeed Gavin Newsom—remains too muddled to call, with millions of outstanding ballots likely yet to be counted.
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 4 June 2026
Having stabilised as mid-table regulars, this was an opportunity to capitalise on a muddled middle of the table.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 26 May 2026
The end result on those possessions is a muddled mess, which leads to bad shots or live ball turnovers, which lead to easy points going the other way.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 13 May 2026
Known for its peppery, licorice-like notes, muddled tarragon lends an extra layer of botanical flavor to the famous French cocktail of gin, lemon juice, sweetener, and dry champagne or sparkling wine.
—Jenavieve Christensen, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 May 2026
There remain other, muddled storylines across this LIV timeline that won’t get untangled.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2026
Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 29 May 2026
This muddled the entire process.
—Tony East, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
Nola’s situation is just as muddled.
—Matt Gelb, New York Times, 21 May 2026
Erika’s brother, Klaus (August Diehl), sits naked by a rumpled bed with last night’s conquest still muddled up with his sheets, talking on the phone to his sister.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 14 May 2026
The movie manages to be rigorously muddled despite not being all that complicated.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 14 May 2026
The investigation into Sabich's death was muddled by multiple law enforcement missteps.
—Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 14 May 2026
That reasoning is muddled, but according to Kneecap, they weren’t supposed to find out about this letter.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 6 May 2026
Especially among activists and academics, this explosion of identities has muddled Crenshaw’s neat system of greater and lesser disadvantage.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Adjective
Bloody, disturbing, shocking, and entertaining as hell, the Ghost Ship opening couldn’t be any more different from the absolute slog that follows it, climaxing on a muddled and overly complicated ending.
—Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 15 June 2026
So the relationship of high rates for long-term CDs and low rates for short-term CDs remains muddled.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 11 June 2026
Guests still arrive early, order a brandy Old Fashioned—made the local way, without muddled fruit—and settle in for the experience.
—Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026
To wit, Tuesday’s primary—particularly the free-for-all campaign for governor to succeed Gavin Newsom—remains too muddled to call, with millions of outstanding ballots likely yet to be counted.
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 4 June 2026
Having stabilised as mid-table regulars, this was an opportunity to capitalise on a muddled middle of the table.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 26 May 2026
The end result on those possessions is a muddled mess, which leads to bad shots or live ball turnovers, which lead to easy points going the other way.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 13 May 2026
Known for its peppery, licorice-like notes, muddled tarragon lends an extra layer of botanical flavor to the famous French cocktail of gin, lemon juice, sweetener, and dry champagne or sparkling wine.
—Jenavieve Christensen, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 May 2026
There remain other, muddled storylines across this LIV timeline that won’t get untangled.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2026
Verb
When considering domestic destinations for the menu, Martin tested the old-school Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned ($10), with cherries and orange muddled into the cocktail.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 29 May 2026
This muddled the entire process.
—Tony East, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
Nola’s situation is just as muddled.
—Matt Gelb, New York Times, 21 May 2026
Erika’s brother, Klaus (August Diehl), sits naked by a rumpled bed with last night’s conquest still muddled up with his sheets, talking on the phone to his sister.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 14 May 2026
The movie manages to be rigorously muddled despite not being all that complicated.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 14 May 2026
The investigation into Sabich's death was muddled by multiple law enforcement missteps.
—Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 14 May 2026
That reasoning is muddled, but according to Kneecap, they weren’t supposed to find out about this letter.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 6 May 2026
Especially among activists and academics, this explosion of identities has muddled Crenshaw’s neat system of greater and lesser disadvantage.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muddled
Adjective
-
Russia’s departure from World War 1 led to a savage revolution; its loss in Afghanistan heralded the messy collapse of the Soviet Union; and Moscow levelled much of Grozny before giving Chechnya autonomy in 1996.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
18 June 2026
-
The last case highlights the messy and contentious process the Founding Fathers underwent to form the federal government.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
It's called cognitive empathy, not to be confused with emotional empathy.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
23 June 2026
-
So The Listeners — not to be confused with 2022’s The Listener starring Tessa Thompson and you in a voice role — is just now reaching the States.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
20 June 2026
Verb
-
And of how Iran’s preparation for this World Cup has been disrupted, this is definitely among the more minor.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
Travelers whose flights are disrupted should keep an eye out for change fee waivers and rebooking options from their airline.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
By building circuits whose states naturally fluctuate with this environmental heat, thermodynamic computing turns an otherwise stochastic and chaotic feature of nature into an incredibly fast, ultra-low-energy calculator.—
Rob Toews,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2026
-
The combat that follows is intimate, chaotic, and bloody.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
22 June 2026
Verb
-
They were equally baffled by the aggressive flavorlessness of a Michelob Ultra.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
13 June 2026
-
New York Knicks radio broadcaster Tyler Murray was baffled Wednesday night.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
After about 10 minutes of sitting frozen in place, the seven-year-old shuffled out of the room with his mother, sister and grandmother.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
-
The outsize failings of the men in power demand a grand reimagining of the consequences of those failings, and Helen of Nowhere offers up, exhilaratingly and naughtily, a myth for the man who needs to be shuffled offstage one way or another.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
His fluid camera, observational without being intrusive, expertly delineates the safe space of Layla’s courtyard, shifting registers as things get darker until near the end, when jumbled night reinforces the tense uncertainty.—
Jay Weissberg,
Variety,
17 May 2026
-
Chaotic terrain is characterized by fractured, jumbled blocks of rock thought to have formed when underground ice melted and caused the surface above to collapse.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
County officials said they are puzzled by the cost increase in the face of falling ridership for Access Lynx, which provides door-to-door transportation for disabled and low-income riders countywide.—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 June 2026
-
But after feeding the information into a computer model, the team was puzzled.—
Jeanna Bryner,
Scientific American,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Muddled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muddled. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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