as in to fumble
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 muck up
What's mucking up the process is a telepathic outlier named The Mule (Pilou Asbæk), whose ravenous appetite for galactic dominance has created anomalies in Seldon's branching prognostications of how this whole ordeal will unfold.
—
Jeff Spry, Space.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Terminology, however, is insufficient: the Promising Young Woman is messier and more complicated than the rape revenge subgenre or tales of women done wrong, a pastiche of contradictions that further mucks up Northrop Frye’s distinct archetypal schema and heightens its own significance.
—Meg Pillow
july 31, Literary Hub, 31 July 2025
Organizers called off the start of the Challenger Series portion of the competition on Wednesday, July 30, due to itty-bitty surf and a funky wind that was mucking up the conditions even more.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 30 July 2025
The hydrogen flow keeps vaporized tin from mucking up the system’s optics.
—IEEE Spectrum, 12 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for muck up
Jeff Spry, Space.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Terminology, however, is insufficient: the Promising Young Woman is messier and more complicated than the rape revenge subgenre or tales of women done wrong, a pastiche of contradictions that further mucks up Northrop Frye’s distinct archetypal schema and heightens its own significance.
—Meg Pillow
july 31, Literary Hub, 31 July 2025
Organizers called off the start of the Challenger Series portion of the competition on Wednesday, July 30, due to itty-bitty surf and a funky wind that was mucking up the conditions even more.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 30 July 2025
The hydrogen flow keeps vaporized tin from mucking up the system’s optics.
—IEEE Spectrum, 12 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for muck up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muck up
Verb
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Beauty products have taken over my sink, leaving me fumbling for my go-to face washes and serums every morning and night.—
Jacqueline Tempera,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Jan. 2026
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The Steelers failed to capitalize on the miscues from a jittery Stroud, who fumbled twice and threw a pick deep in Pittsburgh territory.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In a December meeting, commissioners acknowledged customers’ frustrations, but added that the winds blew down hundreds of power lines onto the dry landscape.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
27 Jan. 2026
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Roadways are hazardous due to accumulated, blowing and drifting snow and roads may be very icy.—
Cheryl Vari,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Tim overcame his fear of screwing up again and asked Lucy to move in.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
6 Jan. 2026
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Jessica and Ashlee Simpson, ‘The Little Drummer Boy’ There really aren’t many ways to screw up a straightforward ballad that needs only a rolling snare drum as required instrumentation, but leave it to the Simpson sisters circa 2004 to burn it all down.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
4 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The funding lapse led to delayed or suspended economic data, wreaked havoc at airports as flights were canceled due to air traffic controller shortages and fouled up the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.—
Fred Imbert,
CNBC,
13 Nov. 2025
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Also, if Utah or Miami were to score an upset in the opening round, St. Louis would have first dibs at taking that team instead of Orlando, which would foul up these predictions completely.—
Todd Boss,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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And, from this week’s issue, Nicola Twilley’s reporting on another lingering effect of the wildfires—smoke taint that is ruining grapes and threatening California’s wine industry.—
Dana Goodyear,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
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This will either change your life or ruin you.—
Outside Online,
Outside Online,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Duran booted a water bottle on his way down the tunnel while manager Unai Emery was enraged by Newcastle assistant Jason Tindall putting his finger to his lips and telling the Spaniard to be quiet.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
22 Jan. 2026
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Following his legal trouble, Chacon was booted from his agency and lost out on a role in an upcoming movie, per Deadline.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Muck up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muck%20up. Accessed 27 Jan. 2026.
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