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 Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace hit three-pointers while Smart was fumbling the ball and James and Hachimura were missing shots, while an Oklahoma City 8-0 run eventually gave them another 13-point lead that was never again challenged.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026 -
As print and television media fumbled their way online, Gawker used the internet to pull back the curtain on celebrity, mainstream media, politics and creeping commercialism.—
Frank DiGiacomo,
HollywoodReporter,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
What’s next for I-77 South Carter-Adamson and Ivory were disappointed to hear that I-77 will once again disrupt lives around Charlotte.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 May 2026
-
Canvas outage disrupted students during finals The timing made the outage especially frustrating.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
In other words, voters didn’t accidentally stumble into supporting term limits.—
Jovani Patterson,
Baltimore Sun,
16 May 2026
-
The Bucs gave up nearly 26 points per game in the final two months of the season while stumbling to a 2-7 finish.—
John Romano,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
The parallels between Ines’ dilemma and that of a nation being asked to lick its wounds in silence — in the name of moving on from past miseries — are present but elusive.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
14 May 2026
-
At one point A’zion licks the digitally de-aged Mick Jagger’s face.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
But second-year point guard Carla Leite, who had hurt her ankle earlier in the evening, blew by Jones in isolation to tie the score 96-96 with 27 seconds to play.—
Sabreena Merchant,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
-
Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Here, the feel is of a car-free village where guests and day-tripping locals can mingle over pétanque games, art galleries, and craft workshops, casual and fine dining cuisine, and rejuvenating sessions in the spa’s Iyashi Dôme.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 May 2026
-
Slipping in a grocery store or tripping in a hotel lobby is bad enough on its own.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Winners are chosen by a mix of votes from the two, translated into points by a system confusing even to Eurovision fans.—
Jill Lawless,
Chicago Tribune,
16 May 2026
-
Cassidy complained Friday that the new primary system enacted last year was confusing voters by requiring them to ask for a partisan ballot instead of the previous all-party primary that had been in place.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
That day, Riley had been editing a sequence in which Corvette sneaks into a San Francisco condo owned by Christie, her fashion idol, by hiding inside a coffee delivery cart.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
-
Bugs also tend to hide inside packaging, seams, or even the food itself.—
Kate Van Pelt,
The Spruce,
15 May 2026
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 18 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
