mess (up)

verb

Definition of mess (up)next
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

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mess (up)
  1. fumble
  2. disrupt
  3. stumble
  4. lick
  5. blow
  6. trip
  7. confuse
  8. hide
Verb
  • By contrast, their opponents have fumbled 21 times, with the Chiefs pouncing on eight of those.
    Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 3 Jan. 2025
  • Junior running back Ashton Jeanty fumbled the ball twice — one of those was recovered by the Broncos — en route to falling just short of breaking Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record.
    Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 2 Jan. 2025
Definition of fumble
Verb
  • Amyloid plaques accumulate between neurons, disrupting communication and leading to memory loss and cognitive decline, while tau tangles accumulate inside neurons, disrupting their normal function and leading to neuronal death.
    Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025
  • While many organizations prioritize technology, additional areas outside the technological realm can disrupt security capabilities and affect vulnerability management.
    Dewayne Hart, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
Definition of disrupt
Verb
  • The Packers stumbled down the stretch, losing three of five, including two in a row.
    Jeff Howe, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
  • Thomas watches as a naked virgin rides a horse, which is meant to stumble upon reaching the grave of a vampire.
    Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
Definition of stumble
Verb
  • If pets do go outside, Aitken recommended wiping their paws with a wet towel or baby wipes to ensure any soot is removed, to stop them from licking it off.
    John Mac Ghlionn, Newsweek, 13 Jan. 2025
  • Wipe paws off after walking outdoors with a wet washcloth or baby wipes to prevent pets from licking soot off of their feet after coming inside.
    Geoffrey Eisler, ABC News, 12 Jan. 2025
Definition of lick
Verb
  • Credit them with winning 10 games although losing three of their last four and blowing a chance to win the ACC championship and get into the playoff put a huge damper on the season.
    Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2025
  • The enormity of the destruction emerges Earlier in the week, hurricane-force winds blew embers, that ignited hillsides.
    John Seewer, Chicago Tribune, 10 Jan. 2025
Definition of blow
Verb
  • The instructions emphasized folks not tripping in their fabulous boots while boarding and on being cool.
    Dewayne Bevil, Orlando Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2025
  • And two, space heaters can fall and give you a shock or burn—especially if someone trips over the cord.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 5 Jan. 2025
Definition of trip
Verb
  • Evans believes a lack of planning is largely to blame for our productivity failures, and warns people not to confuse being busy with being productive.
    Barnaby Lashbrooke, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
  • Penn State’s receivers won’t be confused for an elite group, but tight end Tyler Warren is the top player in the country at that position, and the running back duo of Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton is one of the nation’s best.
    Antonio Morales, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
Definition of confuse
Verb
  • At the time, wolves were still considered predatory varmints to be shot from airplanes, trapped and snared for $100 bounty and whatever hides would bring.
    Al Wolter, Outdoor Life, 10 Jan. 2025
  • Set in a swanky apartment hidden above a cobblestone street, this intimate cooking class teaches you both the simplicity and complexity of Italian pasta.
    Anna Haines, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
Definition of hide
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near mess (up)

mess over

mess (up)

mess (with)

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Mess (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mess%20%28up%29. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Using Bullet Points ( • )

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Top 12 Sophisticated Compliments

Word of the Year 2024 | Polarization

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
white rubber duck stands out in a row of yellow ducks
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.