1
as in fumbled
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 disrupted
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 stumbled
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 licked
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 messed (up)
Verb
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Before that, Tampa Bay fumbled scoring opportunities in five of the first seven innings and stranded five overall.
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After South Korea’s goalkeeper fumbled a ball, Luis Romo scored the goal that gave the Mexicans six points and pushed them to the top of the standings.
Verb
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Meanwhile, its medium-range drones have also disrupted Russia’s supply lines to the front, and its long-range strikes have increasingly damaged Russian oil facilities that provide vital revenue for the Kremlin’s war effort.
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Record heat has disrupted schools and transportation networks and forced some tourist attractions, including the Eiffel Tower, to close.
Verb
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Once seen as the Fox News for the next generation of conservatives, the Daily Wire has stumbled over the last several years.
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Through a connection, Jobs stumbled upon what was then the computer animation division of Star Wars creator George Lucas’ production company Lucasfilm and was immediately impressed, wrote Walter Isaacson in his biography of the Apple cofounder.
Verb
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In Huntington Beach and San Clemente, the messy, wild waves licked the bottom of the pier structures.
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When the tiffin is returned licked clean, Ila sends another meal but with a note, leading to a rich correspondence between the two.
Verb
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Messi somehow blew a penalty kick in the eighth minute, when teammate Lautaro Martinez was brought down by Austrian defender Stefan Posch.
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Several hours before the whistle blew on the pitch, Norwegian fans flocked to Times Square in the heart of New York City to give their squad a proper sendoff.
Verb
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It's called cognitive empathy, not to be confused with emotional empathy.
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So The Listeners — not to be confused with 2022’s The Listener starring Tessa Thompson and you in a voice role — is just now reaching the States.
Verb
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On occasion, reporters quite literally tripped and fell over tripods and camera setups while the unfazed athletes answered a line of seemingly never-ending rapid-fire questions.
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Pulisic left that game with an injury to his right leg after being tripped by Australian defender Jason Geria.
Verb
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The young activist has relentlessly pounded Espaillat as a moderate on Israel and an uninspiring fixture of the Democratic establishment.
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The grand slam could prove to be one of the Sox’s biggest clutch hits of the season after they were pounded in the first two games of the Yankees series.
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Cite this Entry
“Messed (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messed%20%28up%29. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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