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
Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 7 May 2025
When a blob of toothpaste lands in your sink, or worse, your shirt, wiping it away won’t entirely eliminate the mess.
—Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 May 2025
John Hollinger, The Athletic, 12 Feb. 2025
For those with an aversion to mess, the Brazilian manicure might not sound like the best nail-painting method.
—Jacqueline Kilikita, refinery29.com, 11 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mess
Noun
Tomatoes sold in 14 states recalled over salmonella risk: See map
Lavender Romance Ball was also an 'absolute mess,' author says
Aside from the low turnout and lack of profit, attendees, including authors, said they were especially disappointed by the ball.
—Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 7 May 2025
When a blob of toothpaste lands in your sink, or worse, your shirt, wiping it away won’t entirely eliminate the mess.
—Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 May 2025
Verb
Add in a high lottery pick (don’t worry, Raptors fans, Ingram isn’t good enough or healthy enough to mess that up), and their top six salaries alone will push the team to the tax line for a squad that on paper will be fighting for the Play-In.
—John Hollinger, The Athletic, 12 Feb. 2025
For those with an aversion to mess, the Brazilian manicure might not sound like the best nail-painting method.
—Jacqueline Kilikita, refinery29.com, 11 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mess
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mess
Noun
-
Emotional devastation lingers in L.A. fire zones March 9, 2025 Questions of how people can donate their own cookbook collections to the cause are already pouring in; Now Serving hopes to organize donation drives in the future, perhaps for an event in July, six months from the fires’ havoc.—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2025
-
The film rocketed back in time to show the havoc the creature wreaked on a group of Native Americans in the Great Plains during the 18th century.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Counting carbs and meal timing: Treatment will also include learning how to count carbohydrates and timing meals for proper insulin dosages.—
Daniel Combs,
Verywell Health,
16 May 2025
-
For much of human history, there was no guarantee as to when our next meal would arrive, so our biological systems are designed to seek out the sweetest and most energy-dense foods.—
Larry Olmsted,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2025
Noun
-
Instead of stopping short upon the sight of Duren, Bridges stepped up, pushing himself into Cunningham.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
-
Beverly Hills Estate Having already owned a couple of homes in L.A., in September 2015, Swift set her sights on a storied slice of Hollywood history: an 11,000-square-foot Georgian Revival estate in Beverly Hills formerly owned by legendary film producer Samuel Goldwyn.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
2 May 2025
Verb
-
In 2019 he was impeached for abuse of power and obstruction of justice related to his bid to persuade Ukraine to interfere in the presidential election.—
David Lightman,
Sacbee.com,
14 May 2025
-
Otherwise, Bezos never interfered in newsroom decision-making, a distance that won him the affection of his paper’s journalists.—
Clare Malone,
New Yorker,
12 May 2025
Noun
-
If this is the slow kind of hell, I’m used to it— My hands are folded the wrong way, the cat sits on the bed Like a limpet, the sun drops out of the sky, inexorable As a chandelier earring.—
Jane Yeh,
The New York Review of Books,
8 May 2025
-
The first is Lorraine Bracco’s Roberta, his mother’s best friend, a passionate Sicilian now raising hell in a nursing home.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
8 May 2025
Noun
-
California fast food staple In-N-Out announced changes to some of its menu items, notably removing the food dye Red 40 from its pink lemonade.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
15 May 2025
-
Family-friendly Offerings The lodge is open to children 10 and above but does not offer any special activities or menus for younger guests.—
Kendall Hill,
Travel + Leisure,
15 May 2025
Noun
-
Objects are often askew and out of frame, and everyday sounds like a toilet flush or blinds being pulled assume a low, staticky growl, as though frights fueled by childish imagination.—
Gayle Sequeira,
Vulture,
20 Jan. 2025
-
In a second Instagram Stories post, the singer offered another look at the cake, featuring a large bust of a clicker, the fungal zombie-esque frights from the Last of Us video game franchise and HBO series of the same name.—
Gil Macias,
People.com,
13 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Turner, the Indiana Pacers' standout 3-and-D center, would be a perfect cure for what ails the Warriors around the rim — but, as Marks points out, Turner seems likely to have played himself into an incredibly lucrative new free agent deal this summer.—
Alex Kirschenbaum,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 May 2025
-
The deal is very similar to the aforementioned Galaxy S25 Ultra deal that popped up last week.—
Janhoi McGregor,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2025
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 21 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share