mess up
verb
messed up; messing up; messes up
informal
: to make a mistake : to do something incorrectly
About halfway into the recipe, I realized that I had messed up, and I had to start over.
—often + onShe's afraid she'll mess up on the test.
I messed up on my first attempt.
Examples of mess up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
On the third goal, Jake Middleton messed up in the neutral zone.
—
Michael Russo, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
That probably messed up our mindset and sparked a broader demand for new attractions.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2026
There's also things that can get messed up.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
That’s where dynasties get made — or, more recently, get messed up.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mess up
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Michael Russo, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
That probably messed up our mindset and sparked a broader demand for new attractions.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2026
There's also things that can get messed up.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
That’s where dynasties get made — or, more recently, get messed up.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mess up
Cite this Entry
“Mess up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mess%20up. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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