1
as in havoc
a state in which everything is out of order
the bachelor party had left the house in a total mess
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in meal
food eaten or prepared for eating at one time
a mess of oatmeal
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
4
as in loads
a considerable amount
an unexpected Super Bowl loss that unleashed a whole mess of finger-pointing and second-guessing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to interfere
to interest oneself in what is not one's concern
please don't mess with me while I'm trying to concentrate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mess
Abby Monteil, Them., 3 Oct. 2025
After heavy rains, concert-goers took to sliding down the slopes southwest of the Liberty Memorial, leaving the area an unsightly mess.
—Dan Kelly
october 2, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2025
James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
The Marlins may also potentially mess things for the Phillies quest at avoiding the NL’s third-best record or Detroit’s bid at staying as the team with the top record in the AL.
—Larry Fleisher, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mess
Noun
Still, losing out on more seasons of Zoë Kravitz playing a lovably bisexual mess navigating New York City particularly stings.
—Abby Monteil, Them., 3 Oct. 2025
After heavy rains, concert-goers took to sliding down the slopes southwest of the Liberty Memorial, leaving the area an unsightly mess.
—Dan Kelly
october 2, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
The last two seasons have proven that the team starts off slow, which ends up messing their chances of making the playoffs.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
The Marlins may also potentially mess things for the Phillies quest at avoiding the NL’s third-best record or Detroit’s bid at staying as the team with the top record in the AL.
—Larry Fleisher, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mess
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mess
Noun
-
And although police have uncovered networks seeking to cause havoc after the election, the fear is that authorities will not be able to expose them all.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Officials also warned of the havoc the network could have caused if left intact.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
As Leo chased Genesis around the kitchen, Rosalba and her mother prepared lunch—a delicious meal of chicken cooked in a broth of cinnamon, clove, laurel, and sour orange.—
Simon Willis,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Oct. 2025
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Two more products have been recalled in relation to the listeria outbreak with four deaths traced to prepared pasta meals, one recall that involves Publix, Walmart and likely other chains as well as independent stores.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
5 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
So when substitute Norberto Alonso popped up for the winner in the opening 2-1 victory over Hungary, there was the somewhat egregious sight of him celebrating over on the far side with the No 1 on his back.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
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Their production, and the Florida offense as a whole, was a welcome sight for a defense that has been suffocating opponents for weeks.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
5 Oct. 2025
Noun
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This dual-purpose design requires exceptional stiffness, vibration control, and precision engineering, allowing heavy highway loads and high-speed rail traffic to share the same structure safely.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Same question, loads of responses.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Kremlin has repeatedly denied interfering in foreign elections.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
26 Sep. 2025
-
The cornea is a perfect alternating stack of tiny fibers that is so regular that light goes right through it, and the cells of the lens have lost nearly all their internal structures (organelles), leaving only a soup of almost identical proteins that don’t interfere much with the passage of light.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Yes, these Eagles have been to hell.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
-
The press helped to turn public opinion against the war, not because the press was antiwar or even had a politics but because war is hell, and hell is photogenic.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
27 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Mummy Mozzarella Fries will also be featured on the menu, served in a special, limited-edition mummy-themed box and paired with marinara dipping sauce.—
Alia Shoaib,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
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Crow’s Bench Crow’s Bench at Schweitzer’s Humbird has indoor-outdoor dining and an elevated menu showcasing local ingredients and imaginative preparations.—
Laura Beausire,
Travel + Leisure,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
As the decorations go up and the costumes come together, Indy-area neighborhoods, stages, historic sites and more are gearing up for their annual Halloween festivities and frights.—
Domenica Bongiovanni,
IndyStar,
23 Sep. 2025
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Many movies tried to recreate its magic mixture, including some of its own sequels, but few achieved the merry concoction of frights, gore, and giggles that Craven handled so masterfully.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Sep. 2025
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Hot Mess
Our research turned up two archaic literal meanings
Cite this Entry
“Mess.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mess. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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