muck up

verb

Definition of muck upnext
as in to fumble
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way I swear, she mucks up everything she tries

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of muck up Sure, all this meddling does muck up the pacing somewhat, but who cares? — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 27 Apr. 2026 Teams continue to sag off Hart in the half court to try to muck up New York’s offense. — James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 10 Apr. 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 At least not Will Welch, GQ’s longstanding editor-in-chief and global editorial director, who was absolutely zen about the threat of an atmospheric river mucking up the mag’s Men of the Year celebration last night. — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 14 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for muck up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muck up
  1. fumble
  2. blow
  3. screw up
  4. foul up
  5. ruin
  6. boot
Verb
  • Three plays later, Austin Simmons hit Cayden Lee, who got blasted by a Longhorn defender and fumbled to set up the game-sealing Texas TD.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 8 Nov. 2026
  • And four plays after Browne fumbled at his own 2, Washington scored on 1 -yard plunge.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of fumble
Verb
  • The Jets blew a nine-point halftime lead and wasted a 33-point afternoon against a Raiders team that had lost four straight.
    — Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 7 Nov. 2026
  • As the final whistle blew at CPKC Stadium, signaling victory for the Kansas City Current in a Saturday playoff match, a release of joy swept across the field.
    — Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of blow
Verb
  • To make matters worse, Alex screws up again when Kerry, Fraser, and Kaylee leave with the guests for an excursion at the elephant sanctuary.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2026
  • New York landing Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker — who has emerged as the draft’s top quarterback prospect — would be a painful blow to Miami, though the Jets have a long tradition of screwing up young QBs.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of screw up
Verb
  • Then police closed that, too — at midafternoon Tuesday after a report of a suspicious package — fouling up traffic for New Yorkers even more.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
  • In the end, though, neither an explosion nor a giant spill of fluid that could foul up waterways and the ocean occurred.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026
Definition of foul up
Verb
  • The tumult of these raids, which played out daily on TV and social media, ruined lives and hurt local economies.
    — Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 9 Nov. 2026
  • Season is far from over The good news is, unlike Miami’s historic 1988 loss in South Bend, this loss does not ruin the Hurricanes’ chances to win a national title.
    — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of ruin
Verb
  • Originally cast in 2023 as a contestant for the K-pop reality show that formed Katseye, she was booted out early partly because—despite becoming a fan favorite in Netflix’s subsequent docuseries—the judges sensed she was destined for solo stardom.
    — Liam Hess, Vogue, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Those affected should check with the maker of the firmware being used to boot their systems and ask for guidance.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of boot

Browse Nearby Words

mucks up
muck up
mucky
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Muck up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muck%20up. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

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