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
-
But then Superman lost flight and Warners fumbled the lucrative Reeve franchise greatly.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
8 July 2025 -
Ferguson couldn't find the end zone once, and even fumbled the ball four times, after preventing fumbles entirely during his first two seasons in the league.—
Justin Grasso,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
Verb
-
Underneath the fun exterior, Red Bull was serious about its ambitions of disrupting F1’s front-runners and assembling a team that was capable of winning a championship.—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
11 July 2025
-
Frequent use can disrupt normal bowel function and lead to laxative dependence or chronic constipation.7 Only use castor oil under medical guidance.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Verywell Health,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
Hegseth, a former Fox TV host who has stumbled through several controversies during his six months in office, sat silently next to Trump without volunteering any information about the decision that apparently came on his watch.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
9 July 2025
-
After a dramatic event, like an underwater landslide, covered her in sediment, her body remained hidden until 16 years ago, when scientists stumbled upon the nearly pristine fossil of the animal—a dolphin-like marine predator—and unearthed it for further research.—
Sara Hashemi,
Smithsonian Magazine,
8 July 2025
Verb
-
The Boston Celtics are still licking their wounds following the heartbreaking end to the 2024-25 NBA season.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 July 2025
-
And Lil Wayne agrees by licking my face, which is part of the job description for companion dogs.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
9 July 2025
Verb
-
Some of the clips have also already begun to go viral including one of Chase’s gazelle-like movement and another of Hill blowing by Smith-Njigba in coverage.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
10 July 2025
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
10 July 2025
Verb
-
With no direct service, plane trips back to the U.S. can take upwards of 19 hours.—
William P. Barrett,
Forbes.com,
19 July 2025
-
Filmmakers clearly constructed all these scenes, a fact that neither trips our ethical wires nor stops our biological reactions.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
16 July 2025
Verb
-
Amazon $650 Samsung $650 Best Buy Not to be confused with the Galaxy S24 series, this midrange smartphone from late 2024 has some elements of the flagship phone, but makes some sacrifices to get the price down.—
Simon Hill,
Wired News,
11 July 2025
-
O’Brien says his critics might be confused because of the novelty of his approach.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
10 July 2025
Verb
-
But these unremarkable principles hide a dramatic shift in the relationship between science and government.—
David Michaels,
The Atlantic,
20 July 2025
-
But unlike other technologies, AI doesn’t hide its default bias.—
Pia Lauritzen,
Forbes.com,
20 July 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Mess (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mess%20%28up%29. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share