mare's nest

noun

Definition of mare's nestnext
as in hell
a state in which everything is out of order the lack of planning had resulted in the city's evacuation being a mare's nest of epic proportions

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mare's nest
  1. hell
  2. havoc
  3. mess
  4. jumble
  5. chaos
  6. confusion
  7. snake pit
  8. disorder
Noun
  • In Harrenhal, Aemond is plagued by nightmares of his (not) dead brother dragging him to hell.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 20 July 2026
  • After being a key to the victory of the Trojan War, Greek hero Odysseus (Matt Damon) goes to hell and back trying to get home to his wife (Anne Hathaway) and son (Tom Holland) in Nolan's brutal yet introspective adaptation of Homer's epic poem.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 17 July 2026
Definition of hell
Noun
  • Being asked to prove yourself to AI can play havoc on your confidence and ruin your chances of getting your foot in the door.
    — Colleen Batchelder, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • That also plays havoc with his control over his web-shooting capabilities, both the old-school organic method and the tech version built for him by Tony Stark.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 28 July 2026
Definition of havoc
Noun
  • That’s because parts of the flooding area fall under the jurisdictions of Kansas City, Jackson County and the state transportation department — and each says the others are responsible for addressing the mess.
    — Zuri Primos July 27, Kansas City Star, 27 July 2026
  • For stubborn messes, make a paste of baking soda and water and apply it directly to the area.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 26 July 2026
Definition of mess
Noun
  • Arches and natural bridges sweep like buttresses from jumbles of rock, giving this landscape a mystical, cathedral-like quality.
    — Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Macaroons are chewy jumbles of coconut bound together with egg whites and sweetened condensed milk.
    — Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of jumble
Noun
  • The dinner in April devolved into chaos after authorities say Cole Allen opened fire inside the Washington Hilton hotel, where thousands of journalists and guests gathered for the annual celebration of the First Amendment.
    — Fritz Farrow, ABC News, 25 July 2026
  • Brentford’s Michael Kayode caused chaos with his long throw in the Premier League last season too, but that was nothing on what Huddersfield’s Max Murray appears to be capable of.
    — George Edwards, New York Times, 24 July 2026
Definition of chaos
Noun
  • Washington — The Federal Reserve has remained mum about interest rates as inflation concerns have heightened, leading to confusion about the state of the US economy.
    — Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 27 July 2026
  • That has generated confusion about how rules ought to be applied and advantaged some schools and conferences over others.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of confusion
Noun
  • The town is home to the world's largest snake pits, where tens of thousands of non-venomous red-sided garter snakes emerge each spring to wriggle over one another.
    — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 14 May 2026
  • By mimicking the biological blueprint of snake pit organs and combining it with semiconductor manufacturing, the researchers have opened a path toward truly accessible thermal vision.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 1 Dec. 2025
Definition of snake pit
Noun
  • The woman said she’s struggled with anxiety and nightmares ever since and has been diagnosed with post- traumatic stress disorder.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 July 2026
  • Dobson resigned from the American Psychological Association in 1973 over its removal of homosexuality from its list of psychological disorders.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 July 2026
Definition of disorder
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.

Browse Nearby Words

mare
mare's nest
mare's nests
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Cite this Entry

“Mare's nest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mare%27s%20nest. Accessed 30 Jul. 2026.

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