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
-
Henderson also fumbled after hauling in a pass from DeVito.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
2 June 2026 -
During Miami’s two periods of special teams work Malik Washington fumbled his first kickoff return, but most of the other punt returners and kickoff returned fielded their attempts well.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Major ash-producing eruptions have repeatedly disrupted life across the region and can affect areas far beyond the immediate danger zone.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
9 June 2026
-
The department said current emergency notification systems rely on cellular devices, radio signals, electrical connectivity and power, all of which can be disrupted by heavy smoke, power outages or damage to communication infrastructure during an emergency.—
Reeti Malhotra,
Sacbee.com,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Weiss, best known for her work as an opinion journalist and the launch of her site The Free Press, has stumbled in her new role in large part due to a lack of experience with TV operations.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
9 June 2026
-
In the fall of 1995, hunters stumbled on Josette’s bones in the woods near rural Carmel, an hour north of the Bronx.—
Paul Solotaroff,
Rolling Stone,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
In Huntington Beach and San Clemente, the messy, wild waves licked the bottom of the pier structures.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
9 June 2026
-
When the tiffin is returned licked clean, Ila sends another meal but with a note, leading to a rich correspondence between the two.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Once the opening whistle blew, all the focus turned to the field.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
16 June 2026
-
After someone blew a hole in the Nord Stream Pipeline deep under the Baltic Sea in September 2022, the global media debated a geopolitical whodunnit.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Some women who filed lawsuits against Ortega reported they had been confused about whether demeaning or uncomfortable actions the doctor engaged in during exams was within the bounds of necessary medical behavior.—
Emily Hoerner,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
-
MacT’s ability to communicate and his intelligent verbal should not be confused for a soft approach.—
Allan Mitchell,
New York Times,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Britain’s Katie Boulter and Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez tripped over Lacoste signs during their early round matches.—
Lev Akabas,
Sportico.com,
7 June 2026
-
The one thing that has tripped me up, however, is sourcing the perfect walking sneakers.—
Kyra Surgent,
InStyle,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
The Pittsburgh area was hit hard by severe weather on Sunday evening, with the National Weather Service issuing multiple tornado warnings as heavy wind and rain pounded the region.—
Michael Guise,
CBS News,
14 June 2026
-
Waves are not expected to be as big as those that pounded the shore last week and led to the deaths of two people.—
Melody Petersen,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
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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 16 Jun. 2026.
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