make a mess of
idiom
: to ruin (something) or to make many mistakes in doing (something)
The scandal made a mess of his political career.
The weather made a mess of our plans.
He made a mess of his speech.
Examples of make a mess of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But that’s no guarantee that climate change won’t make a mess of operations in those territories as well: The Pacific Northwest has in recent years been wilting under extraordinary heat waves, with temperatures climbing above 110 degrees Fahrenheit for days at a time.
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Matt Simon, WIRED, 26 Mar. 2024
Porter sets himself the challenge of rendering the least palatable of these children sympathetic: the kind of boy who has a lot going for him, a lot of privilege, and can’t seem to do anything but make a mess of it.
—Rachel Connolly, The New Republic, 17 July 2023
Other than soldiers, the bunker is inhabited by a menagerie of animals who have also sought safety from the bombs — several small dogs and a black goat that likes to make a mess of the kitchen area.
—New York Times, 11 May 2022
The storm could make a mess of travel in the form of icy roads, 45-mph wind gusts and dangerous wind chills in the mountains.
—Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2022
Democratic leaders echoed Yellen’s plea and implored the GOP to not make a mess of a once-routine budgeting process.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2023
That feed the algae lead to dead zones and, and make a mess of things.
—Laura Johnston, cleveland, 31 Aug. 2022
Pencils, pens, and markers, for instance, can quickly make a mess of your backpack or desk if not stored neatly.
—Lauren Gray, Popular Mechanics, 2 Aug. 2022
Like the majority of people in this law-abiding country, Vize had little sympathy for the superstar scofflaw but also believed Australia’s government had tried to exploit the situation only to make a mess of it.
—Washington Post, 17 Jan. 2022
Matt Simon, WIRED, 26 Mar. 2024
Porter sets himself the challenge of rendering the least palatable of these children sympathetic: the kind of boy who has a lot going for him, a lot of privilege, and can’t seem to do anything but make a mess of it.
—Rachel Connolly, The New Republic, 17 July 2023
Other than soldiers, the bunker is inhabited by a menagerie of animals who have also sought safety from the bombs — several small dogs and a black goat that likes to make a mess of the kitchen area.
—New York Times, 11 May 2022
The storm could make a mess of travel in the form of icy roads, 45-mph wind gusts and dangerous wind chills in the mountains.
—Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2022
Democratic leaders echoed Yellen’s plea and implored the GOP to not make a mess of a once-routine budgeting process.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2023
That feed the algae lead to dead zones and, and make a mess of things.
—Laura Johnston, cleveland, 31 Aug. 2022
Pencils, pens, and markers, for instance, can quickly make a mess of your backpack or desk if not stored neatly.
—Lauren Gray, Popular Mechanics, 2 Aug. 2022
Like the majority of people in this law-abiding country, Vize had little sympathy for the superstar scofflaw but also believed Australia’s government had tried to exploit the situation only to make a mess of it.
—Washington Post, 17 Jan. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'make a mess of.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Make a mess of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/make%20a%20mess%20of. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
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