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

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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
  • Basabe, 48, fumbled his way through the trial, often seeming confused about the legal proceedings.
    — Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026
  • The Sky rank 13th in the league with a 7-16 record after fumbling a fourth-quarter lead Sunday in a loss to the Dallas Wings.
    — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026
Definition of fumble
Verb
  • The escalating standoff comes as the fragile truce reached last month has fractured, once again disrupting energy flows through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, which typically handles around 20% of the world's oil traffic.
    — Sam Meredith,Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 17 July 2026
  • Yanbu has become even more important during the war, serving as Saudi Arabia’s main crude export outlet as traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains severely disrupted.
    — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 17 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
  • Grande licked one of them, and fans were immediately outraged by the moment.
    — Giovana Gelhoren, InStyle, 16 July 2026
  • Some of the flames come close to licking the glass, as the wildfire blows across the tracks.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 15 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
  • In March, Melissa Graybill, 52, watched her mother, who is 69, begin an arduous recovery journey after tripping while getting off a horse.
    — Erica Sloan, Washington Post, 14 July 2026
  • Most drug development campaigns only discover whether candidates trip this sensor late in the game, forcing drug developers to go back to the drawing board.
    — Brittany Trang, STAT, 14 July 2026
Definition of trip
Verb
  • By the final week of training, Kerr’s confidence had become impossible to hide.
    — George Edwards, New York Times, 21 July 2026
  • Archer says Joby is hiding its dependence on money and parts from China, while Joby alleges Archer stole its technology through corporate espionage.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 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 22 Jul. 2026.

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