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
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Marketing gets the lead, but operations fumbles the conversion.—
Michael Fox,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025 -
In-ho began fumbling, accidentally letting go of the top and flinging it backwards.—
Esther Kang,
People.com,
26 June 2025
Verb
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As discussed ad nauseum Iran could disrupt shipping in the Arabian/Persian Gulf, but only partly and only for a brief period.—
Michael Lynch,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
The Justice Department has filed similar prosecutions in recent years, as well as created an initiative aimed at disrupting the threat.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 July 2025
Verb
-
Hegseth, a former Fox TV host who has stumbled through several controversies during his six months in office, sat silently next to Trump without volunteering any information about the decision that apparently came on his watch.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
9 July 2025
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After a dramatic event, like an underwater landslide, covered her in sediment, her body remained hidden until 16 years ago, when scientists stumbled upon the nearly pristine fossil of the animal—a dolphin-like marine predator—and unearthed it for further research.—
Sara Hashemi,
Smithsonian Magazine,
8 July 2025
Verb
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In the video, the mother dog stays close to her pup, licking him and standing over him protectively.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 June 2025
-
While her Nickelodeon and Disney peers have seemingly all had at least one major scandal to their names (ranging from incessant twerking and licking unpurchased donuts to near-fatal overdoses), Palmer’s celebrity was, in part, defined by her lack of verifiable scandals.—
Kyle Denis,
Billboard,
25 June 2025
Verb
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Water moving at 25 mph has the pressure equivalent of wind blowing at 790 mph, faster than the speed of sound.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
10 July 2025
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Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
10 July 2025
Verb
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The Wall Street Journal wrote about how the robots are getting flipped over, stuck in snow piles and some students have been found to sit on them, or trip over them, when drinking.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 July 2025
-
An employee at a Pyro Spectaculars, Inc. warehouse tripped and dropped a combustible shell.—
Calista Oetama
July 3,
Sacbee.com,
3 July 2025
Verb
-
Amazon $650 Samsung $650 Best Buy Not to be confused with the Galaxy S24 series, this midrange smartphone from late 2024 has some elements of the flagship phone, but makes some sacrifices to get the price down.—
Simon Hill,
Wired News,
11 July 2025
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Hence, Nicole left the party, despondent at having been rejected and confused at the cold reception.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Verb
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Instead, Boyd said, Lawson and his father were retrieving a car that had been taken from them earlier the night of the disappearance and hidden at a residence on Boston Road, which is north of Bluegrass Parkway.—
Killian Baarlaer,
The Courier-Journal,
8 July 2025
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The green laser shows you where dust might be hiding on your floors, and the LCD screen will tell you about the particle sizes down to the micron.—
Nena Farrell,
Wired News,
8 July 2025
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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 17 Jul. 2025.
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