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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Then the rookie fumbled late in the first quarter and absorbed a huge hit that prompted the concussion spotter to pull him off the field for an evaluation.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
22 Aug. 2025 -
Ewers was sacked twice and fumbled the ball both times, losing possession.—
Omar Kelly
August 11,
Miami Herald,
11 Aug. 2025
Verb
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While the effects of Trump's second presidency remain to be seen, his administration has already met its promise of disrupting the status quo of the federal government.—
Alex J. Rouhandeh,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Aug. 2025
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Network bandwidth was a major concern—data transfers couldn’t disrupt production in any way.—
Apurva Wadodkar,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Indeed, the Braves overcame an early 5-1 deficit in the series opener Tuesday with four runs in the fourth inning to tie the score, only to give it right back on a night when Spencer Strider stumbled, tying a career high with eight runs allowed in four innings.—
David O'Brien,
New York Times,
15 Aug. 2025
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The Wave have been fortunate that Orlando and Washington have also stumbled, keeping the gap small.—
Fernando Ramirez,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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When Sunday ended, supremacy was restored – the Dodgers were back in first place in the NL West, and the Padres were licking their wounds, wondering what just happened.—
Dan Freedman,
Forbes.com,
19 Aug. 2025
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The little girl licks butter off a spoon, gets a bottle full of bone broth and uses her four teeth to gum ribeye steak.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The foghorn blew every 30 seconds and pelicans sailed above, doing a quick half corkscrew turn before diving.—
Michael Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
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United’s prospective new owner, Michael Knighton, was on the pitch beforehand, ball-juggling and blowing kisses to the crowd, and Neil Webb smashed one in from 25 yards on his debut — wild stuff, honestly (yeah, get on with it, Grandad).—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Now, Republican candidates trip over themselves in displays of public faith to kowtow to the hardcore base that sees the show as a substitute for substance.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
21 Aug. 2025
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Halfway through the burglary, one of the four tripped an alarm.—
Justin Wingerter,
Denver Post,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The refusal by the union to obey the order left many travelers at Toronto Pearson International Airport confused and frustrated on Aug. 17.—
Allison Lampert,
USA Today,
17 Aug. 2025
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Those news stories are confusing the timeline for the older stimulus checks.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The moment, which quickly went viral, saw the pair duck to hide their faces from the camera, setting off alarm bells and becoming instant fodder for online chatter.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
26 Aug. 2025
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In the end, there doesn’t appear to have ever been a shooter to hide from or disarm.—
Ryan Anderson,
Arkansas Online,
25 Aug. 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 29 Aug. 2025.
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