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

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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)
  1. fumble
  2. disrupt
  3. stumble
  4. lick
  5. blow
  6. confuse
  7. trip
  8. hide
Verb
  • In Madison’s Capitol Times, Paul Fanlud detected some worry from Wikler that Democrats might fumble their project of governing Wisconsin long enough to reform it.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 22 July 2026
  • On Sunday, the Guardians essentially created a compilation video for Little League coaches to show their kids, a crash course in fumbling the fundamentals.
    — Zack Meisel, New York Times, 21 July 2026
Definition of fumble
Verb
  • Two oil tankers carrying millions of barrels of Saudi crude are sailing through the Gulf of Aden, having successfully traversed the Bab al-Mandeb Strait despite Houthi threats to disrupt Saudi shipping, tracking data shows.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
  • The attacks, which follow months of drone strikes on Russian oil depots and refineries, appear designed to severely disrupt Moscow's supply chains and increase the financial burden facing the country's businesses and state budget.
    — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 23 July 2026
Definition of disrupt
Verb
  • The first version stumbled spectacularly—employees persuaded it to stock novelty tungsten cubes and sell them at a loss—but later iterations became considerably more competent.
    — Victor Dey, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • But then our son stumbles into the room and burrows between us, his warmth radiating right alongside my light.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 July 2026
Definition of stumble
Verb
  • That means no tasting cookie dough made with raw eggs, no licking brownie batter off the beaters, and no homemade Caesar dressing made with uncooked yolks.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 23 July 2026
  • The best restaurant sauces can tempt even the most prim and proper of us to lift up our plates and lick them clean.
    — Rochelle Bilow, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 July 2026
Definition of lick
Verb
  • The night quickly blew open from there, a 10-7 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies that was uglier than the final score and further sank Sheehan’s season.
    — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 21 July 2026
  • As the final seconds ticked down on Spain’s 1-0 extra-time win over a valiant Argentina and the referee blew his whistle, one could be forgiven for their mind once again slipping to memories of La Roja’s maiden World Cup victory.
    — Patrick Sung Cuadrado, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
Definition of blow
Verb
  • The Blazers say a handshake agreement with Mayor Keith Wilson, the city and the county was made in March, and are confused why there has been a shift.
    — Jason Quick, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • The figure who experiences every prompt to begin the process as a threat rather than a relief has confused the cause with the self.
    — Michael Sonnenfeldt, Fortune, 19 July 2026
Definition of confuse
Verb
  • Bathroom trips while filming The Odyssey were an odyssey in itself for John Leguizamo.
    — Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 22 July 2026
  • The youngest Lestat trips over reciting a passage about being encircled by God’s love.
    — Sabrina Reed, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of trip
Verb
  • The tree in Athens isn’t likely to make it through the construction of a new $225 million courthouse, despite some interest in preserving the piece of history hiding in plain sight.
    — Cassidy Alexander, AJC.com, 23 July 2026
  • The tinkerer believes there is always another possibility hiding beneath the surface of failure.
    — Lintao "LT" Lu, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
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.

Browse Nearby Words

mess over
mess (up)
mess (with)
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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 27 Jul. 2026.

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