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
  • On the first play of Rutgers' next drive, Surace was sacked at the Rutgers 8 and fumbled with Northwestern’s Jamaal Johnson recovering.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The Chiefs actually missed a 43-yard field goal that would have won the game in regulation — after Justin Houston forced Lamar Jackson to fumble — but won the game with a short kick in overtime.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of fumble
Verb
  • The ruling warns that the last-minute intervention could disenfranchise eligible voters, disrupt the midterm election and invite political meddling.
    — Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The most recent lockout in 2022 minimally disrupted the MLB schedule, pushing Opening Day back a week.
    — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of disrupt
Verb
  • Johnson had nothing but space, and stumbled to make one move before reaching the end zone for his first career touchdown.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2026
  • After stumbling into an intro to acting class, the 28-year-old quickly caught the professor’s attention.
    — Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of stumble
Verb
  • After contracting the plague, he was banished to a cave, where a dog brought him bread and healed his wounds by licking them.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
  • But the lively crew at the urinals was already licking its lips in anticipation.
    — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of lick
Verb
  • These higher-than-usual high tides are supercharged by winds blowing onshore, pushing more seawater on land.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026
  • While Healey is expected to let a reduction in his fiscal buffer do most of the work on the basis that the Iran war has blown a hole in his accounts, tax increases are still likely.
    — Ian King, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of blow
Verb
  • For months, Republicans have suspected that the second Dan Sullivan’s Senate bid was designed to confuse voters as part of a broader scheme allegedly plotted by the Democratic Party to boost Peltola’s chances.
    — Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The possibility of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe should not be confused with evidence that extraterrestrial beings have visited Earth, Kirkpatrick said.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of confuse
Verb
  • Doing so tripped Sixers All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey, and the nearest official immediately whistled for an offensive foul, Towns’ second inside the first four minutes of the season opener.
    — Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Even after Ball tripped Adebayo and knocked him out of the Heat-Charlotte Hornets play-in tournament game early last season, Spoelstra said the Heat left that moment in the past when asked about the play prior to Wednesday’s season opener.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of trip
Verb
  • If a suspicious sample directly reduces a model’s reward, the model could learn to hide its behavior instead of correcting it.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The Kettle Moraine State Forest is right at our edge, and there are nooks and crannies where something could hide.
    — Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 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 3 Nov. 2026.

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