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
Relevance
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of mess
Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2026
This plastic table cover does the trick while offering convenient use and protection against spills and messes.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2026
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, fleets of vessels directed by the Kremlin have reportedly started messing with offshore wind and communications infrastructure in northern Europe.
—IEEE Spectrum, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mess
Noun
Protect Hardware When Painting Painting can result in a real mess when stray streaks and drips land on handles, knobs, and pulls.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2026
This plastic table cover does the trick while offering convenient use and protection against spills and messes.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
Verb
Do not mess this up, Bridgerton!
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2026
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, fleets of vessels directed by the Kremlin have reportedly started messing with offshore wind and communications infrastructure in northern Europe.
—IEEE Spectrum, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mess
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mess
Noun
-
Saudi Arabia has stepped up direct engagement with Iran to try and contain a war in the Middle East that is causing havoc and stressing global markets, according to several European officials.—
Donato Paolo Mancini,
Fortune,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The change launches biannual arguments about the practice, wrecks havoc on sleep and has inspired voters to go to California polls.—
Hannah Poukish,
Sacbee.com,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Tommy seems receptive, too, with each invitation to participate in his abductors’ togetherness (meals, movie nights, a picnic).—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Without mayonnaise, the bright colors can really shine at a springtime meal.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Southern California continues to sizzle under a heat advisory on Friday, as temperatures across the region remain a toasty 15 to 25 degrees above normal, with no meaningful relief in sight.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
-
My group watched two sets of soldiers march in, twirl their guns, click their heels, and then retreat out of sight.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This approach allows for ramping up or down instantly to maintain high efficiency across varying loads and perfectly match the natural, fluctuating power profile of the sun and wind.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The Type 00 gave Jaguar loads of new identity—being large, distinctive-looking, and very pink—but that identity wasn’t a universal hit with the purists, which is probably why Jaguar persisted anyway.—
Erik Shilling,
Robb Report,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The law enforcement steps have alarmed election officials and Democrats who fear that the administration is building an argument for interfering in this year’s midterm elections.—
Isaac Arnsdorf,
Washington Post,
9 Mar. 2026
-
That is, the government did not interfere in any way with which religious schools could receive the funds.—
David Kay,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Russell Wilson cap hell is over.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
10 Mar. 2026
-
But as the first few days of the joint men’s and women’s event have demonstrated yet again, there is sometimes a bit of hell in tennis’ Garden of Eden.—
Douglas Robson,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Route 66’s oldest continuously operating café first opened its doors back in 1924, and very little about the décor or menu has changed since its midcentury heyday.—
Zoey Goto,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
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Although the steak, carnitas, and sofritas get a lot of love, one of Chipotle’s most iconic menu items is its chicken.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
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,
3 Mar. 2026
-
But the fun, the frights, and the sense of being among fellow enthusiasts fluent in Slasher 101 and in on the jokes has been bled out of this.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
27 Feb. 2026
Video
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 14 Mar. 2026.
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