1
as in to fumble
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
messed up the drawing and had to start over
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to disrupt
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
a nap had messed up her hair and she looked a sight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to stumble
to make a mistake
if anyone messes up even once while we're recording, we have to start all over again
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to lick
to strike repeatedly
threatened that he would mess him up if he cheated at the game
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mess (up)
Verb
-
Massey ranged to his left, lost his footing and fumbled the ball.—
Evan Webeck,
Mercury News,
20 May 2025 -
Gutierrez found the jury was confused by antitrust law elements and fumbled a calculation for damages by mistaking an overcharge with a discount.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
13 May 2025
Verb
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The earthquake disrupted the World Series and damaged the Bay Bridge, Oakland’s Cypress Freeway, and swaths of San Francisco.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
8 June 2025
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Why disrupt a good thing by adding more and presumably inferior teams to the mix?—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
7 June 2025
Verb
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While sorting through storage in their Rhode Island studio to prep those reissues, Ivy stumbled upon a treasure trove of reel-to-reel tapes and old hard drives with unused material.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
4 June 2025
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On a remote island in northern Norway, metal detectorists stumbled upon a pair of bronze treasures.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2025
Verb
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The flames that licked through the football fields and tennis courts at Pali High devoured touchstones of an iconic campus—featured in films like Carrie and Freaky Friday.—
Simmone Shah,
Time,
5 June 2025
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Besides, Angela already got her lick back from Porsha’s comments about Charles by instigating the already precarious relationship between Porsha and her bestie and bringing Drew the news that Porsha filmed with Dennis.—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
2 June 2025
Verb
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Failing to install the tax would blow an additional $80 million hole in Chicago’s 2026 budget as the city already faces a budget gap of around $1 billion, Budget Director Annette Guzman said.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
4 June 2025
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Wind blows the dust into the atmosphere and begins moving it westward over the Atlantic Ocean.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 June 2025
Verb
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There’s never been any danger that Christopher McQuarrie would trip, fall, and accidentally make Barry Lyndon.—
Paul A. Thompson,
Pitchfork,
30 May 2025
-
Piper Niven tripped Vega while Green was distracting the referee before Raw went to break.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Verb
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The measures are set to take effect on Monday and have left many Haitians confused.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2025
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Elections and Certifications Don’t confuse a benefit or B corporation with a B Corp.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Verb
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How Was Antonio Navarro Murdered? At 7:30 a.m. on the morning of Aug. 16, 2017, as Antonio was leaving for work, Salvador hid in the couple’s building garage, according to TIME.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
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Though Polish presidential candidates often stand as individuals, rather than representatives of a party, there is little hiding their affiliations, and each major party historically endorses and campaigns for a candidate.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
2 June 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Mess (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mess%20%28up%29. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.
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