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
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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
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As temperature rises, these vibrations intensify, creating a more chaotic, more resistant barrier that paradoxically hardens the metal’s surface against high-speed stress.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Feb. 2026
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While some of Griffin’s jokes may be a product of their time, My Life on the D-List is, all the same, a fascinating snapshot of early aughts celebrity culture in all its chaotic messiness.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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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Many people are confused because they’ve been placed in a new district.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
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What’s troubling about the drop in vaccination rates, however, is that confused — and at times contradictory — public debate around vaccines has almost certainly driven that decline.—
Josh M. Shepherd,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Loamy soil keeps its shape but crumbles easily when poked.—
Nadia Hassani,
The Spruce,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The sheet cake is poked with the handle end of a wooden spoon, creating big holes into which the lemon Jell-o (the glaze) was poured.—
Carolynn Carreño,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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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 20 Feb. 2026.
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