as in messy
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness
came home to find a messed basement with his tools scattered about
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in interfered
to interest oneself in what is not one's concern
please don't mess with me while I'm trying to concentrate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of messed
Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 1 Feb. 2026
Stagner had seen a lot of messed-up things in his life, from explosives in Iraq wounding fellow Marines to the gruesome aftermath of shootings in Brunswick.
—ProPublica, 13 Sep. 2025
Similarly, Ehrenreich — who has been building back a very interesting and strong career after taking some unfair critical brickbats along the way — is just terrific as this somewhat messed-up local cop.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2025
Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
The internet already messed her up pretty good.
—Alex Apatoff, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 2025
The internet already messed her up pretty good.
—Charles Trepany, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
The internet already messed her up pretty good.
—George Ramsay, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
The first week or so of February will be a bit messed up because of bright moonlight.
—Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 1 Feb. 2026
Stagner had seen a lot of messed-up things in his life, from explosives in Iraq wounding fellow Marines to the gruesome aftermath of shootings in Brunswick.
—ProPublica, 13 Sep. 2025
Similarly, Ehrenreich — who has been building back a very interesting and strong career after taking some unfair critical brickbats along the way — is just terrific as this somewhat messed-up local cop.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2025
Verb
In her fifty-seven years of wandering, nobody had messed with her.
—Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
The internet already messed her up pretty good.
—Alex Apatoff, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 2025
The internet already messed her up pretty good.
—Charles Trepany, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
The internet already messed her up pretty good.
—George Ramsay, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for messed
Adjective
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In this case, that ball happens to be the complex that serves as the symbolic seat of the nation’s vibrant, messy, questioning, deeply political and hugely alive arts and culture scene.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Scuffs and chips will show up quickly, requiring frequent touch-ups that can end up creating messy layers.—
Asia London Palomba,
The Spruce,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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To this day, Bezos has never interfered in newsroom decisions, according to interviews with two dozen senior Post journalists over the years.—
David Folkenflik,
NPR,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The match ended in disqualification after Finn Balor interfered.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
His piece of genius separated the sides entering the 84th minute but during a chaotic finale, the hosts conspired to grab defeat from the jaws of victory.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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But Biden quickly sank in the late summer and fall, due in large part to a chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal and rising prices.—
Craig Gilbert,
jsonline.com,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Untrustworthy employees There have been cases where employees at security companies snooped through camera feeds.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
14 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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But someone in mental decline may go way out of their way or get very confused.—
Doug Turnbull,
AJC.com,
8 Feb. 2026
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But Michele and Jesse Foster just seemed confused when the procession passed them on the street corner.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This is not the first time Cornyn has poked fun at Paxton’s romantic history.—
Sarah Bahari,
Dallas Morning News,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The Jacksonville incident poked at the tension.—
Jerry Brewer,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The series does not touch on the tabloid attention that followed the Beckhams in 2004, when it was alleged that David had an affair with his personal assistant, Rebecca Loos, and the many further accusations of cheating that littered gossip columns after.—
Scarlett Harris,
Time,
9 Oct. 2025
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Cigarette butts are the most littered item on the planet.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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At times, Epstein characterized the billionaire’s office as sloppy and amateurish, exposing him to taxes and reputational risks while making sensitive payments.—
Tom Schoenberg,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
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The Heat also ran into its own sloppy play, committing 19 turnovers.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Messed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messed. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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