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
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mess
Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Apr. 2026
The celebrations Monday night in Ann Arbor, Michigan, after the Wolverines won the national men's basketball championship title left quite a mess in some locations.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
Get Morning Sunlight Many people spend much of the day inside at work or home exposed to artificial lights, and this can mess with the body’s circadian rhythm.
—Kristen Gasnick, Verywell Health, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mess
Noun
That is the silver lining to this mess for me.
—Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Apr. 2026
The celebrations Monday night in Ann Arbor, Michigan, after the Wolverines won the national men's basketball championship title left quite a mess in some locations.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
Verb
The weather keeps messing with the White Sox schedule.
—Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
Get Morning Sunlight Many people spend much of the day inside at work or home exposed to artificial lights, and this can mess with the body’s circadian rhythm.
—Kristen Gasnick, Verywell Health, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mess
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mess
Noun
-
The aim is for Abdul to cause havoc in the United States, the West Bank and Iran.—
Oline H. Cogdill,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Apr. 2026
-
In the twentieth century, the same storms that made headlines in New York wreaked quieter havoc across the river.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Transform everyday meals into flavorful creations with Gustus Vitae seasoning sets.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
That means intentional slow breathing, a hot bath, staying hydrated, and eating balanced meals.—
Maggie Ryan,
Flow Space,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
During their trailblazing journey, the four of them traveled farther from Earth than any spacefarer in human history ever has while seeing sights of the moon's far side that no one else has ever experienced.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2026
-
With no end to the larger skirmish in sight, fears persist that the shipment of medical supplies could remain at risk.—
Justin Klawans,
TheWeek,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Once transported to the canyon, the modular components were assembled and put into place using one of the world’s largest cable cranes (cranes that move loads while suspended on cables), which spanned the gorge between the two towers.—
Aman Kumar,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
8 Apr. 2026
-
According to Archer Western, HDR’s design engineers failed to properly account for wind loads — including hurricane winds — in an initial, partial design for the signature bridge arches that the contractor used to calculate construction costs and time for its bid.—
Andres Viglucci,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Of course, the real world always interferes.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Reiser also faulted Adam Cohen for interfering in the sale of his father’s music catalog to Hipgnosis.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In Catholic theology, purgatory is the in-between—not heaven, not hell, but a passage of purification before something better.—
Geoff Curtis,
Fortune,
6 Apr. 2026
-
But the president needs a strategy, and the strategy is not just bomb the living hell or bomb Iran to the Stone Ages.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This curry queso found its way to the menu after Wen, Ho and Samia created it for a Fourth of July hot dog special.—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
-
The changing menu offers a creative, local spin on California coastal cuisine, complete with innovative cocktails and an impressive wine list.—
Acacia Gabriel,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Dark, eerie, and paranoid (for good reason), the eight-episode season shifts back and forth from the casual grimness of an unwelcoming reality to the shocking frights of a stoner’s worst nightmare (the latter of which is shrewdly motivated by Rachel regularly smoking pot).—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The real fright, though, came midway through that final frame, when star center Dylan Larkin went down in a heap after his skate seemed to catch awkwardly on the ice.—
Max Bultman,
New York Times,
7 Mar. 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 13 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
