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
-
Henry also fumbled the ball late in the fourth quarter in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Sep. 2025 -
To put that into perspective, Henry fumbled three times on 683 touches from Week 18 of the 2022 season through the end of the 2024 season.—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Hundreds of flights have been disrupted across the region, with cancelations in Taiwan, Hong Kong and southern China.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
23 Sep. 2025
-
The network could have disrupted emergency communications, McCool added.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The teams have stumbled for different reasons.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
25 Sep. 2025
-
While another woman stumbled on a leather handbag only to find something incredible inside—a ring with an 18k hallmark and beautiful gemstone.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Show Viz Nuno Espirito Santo’s Nottingham Forest had counter-attacking licked.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The afternoon sun licked the windscreen of the car, and the heat boiled my skin.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Vole damage is often confused for mole damage.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
21 Sep. 2025
-
Maybe Aer Lingus got confused when refunding your ticket.—
Christopher Elliott,
Mercury News,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Palestinians flee new offensive Mirna Alsharif Thousands of Palestinians fled northern Gaza with their belongings as Israel forces pounded the enclave's largest city.—
NBC News,
NBC news,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Coen repeatedly pounded his chest, seemingly signaling that Lawrence needed to hit his receivers lower.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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At Harris Reed, platform Herman Munster shoes stomped and even tripped on the runway.—
Hanna McNeila,
Footwear News,
23 Sep. 2025
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That's when the man tripped and fell to the ground, dropping the firearm before continuing to flee.—
Noe Padilla,
IndyStar,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
At least 12 people died as heavy rain lashed the eastern Indian city of Kolkata and surrounding areas ahead of a major festival, flooding streets, disrupting transport and leaving residents stranded for hours, officials said Wednesday.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
24 Sep. 2025
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Videos posted to social media from residents in Taiwan showed huge swells, rough seas and strong winds as Ragasa’s outer bands lashed the island.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
23 Sep. 2025
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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 29 Sep. 2025.
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