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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After leading 14-0 at halftime, Rancho Bernardo fumbled on their second-half opening drive before forcing Brawley to turn the ball over on downs on the ensuing drive.—
The San Diego Union Tribune,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 Aug. 2025 -
Fresno State transfer Malik Sherrod fumbled after catching a pass on the Broncos’ first drive.—
Rachel Roberts,
Idaho Statesman,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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When gamma rhythms are disrupted, as has been observed in ADHD, schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease, signals may arrive out of step and fail to get through cleanly, resulting in poorer attention and memory functioning.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
2 Sep. 2025
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In this game, the creatures are called Anima and they’ve been scattered all across the world when the balance of the magical ‘Nexus’ is disrupted.—
David Jagneaux,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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And arguing with the benefits of a difficult tuneup game can be a useless point, especially as Napier stumbled in from a practice that ran almost 10 minutes long, gearing up for USF.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
6 Sep. 2025
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Closer Bryan Abreu stumbled but has earned the benefit of the doubt with the dominance he’s displayed.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The afternoon sun licked the windscreen of the car, and the heat boiled my skin.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Sep. 2025
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Paul Volcker, the chair of the Federal Reserve at the time, had licked inflation, and the stock market was rising after seventeen years of going sideways.—
L. David Marquet,
Big Think,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The office had been working with elderly, low-income and disabled people to see what most confused them about SSA processes and what would most help them if these were redesigned.—
Eli Hager,
ProPublica,
8 Sep. 2025
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Forgive some Colorado Avalanche fans if they’re confused by the lack of noise as training camp beckons.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Predictably, there’s lots of fighting in The Smashing Machine, including plenty of that knee-to-the-face business, though the sound design is often more disturbing than the visuals; the sound of flesh giving way as it’s being pounded like a piece of meat just feels inhumane.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
1 Sep. 2025
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In recent days, Israel pounded Gaza City, while strikes killed Hamas’ military spokesperson and the Houthis’ prime minister in Yemen.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Finn simply tripped in an environment that was not set up to be safe for him.—
Bridget Fogarty,
jsonline.com,
5 Sep. 2025
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The mascot tripped in the end zone and its head popped off.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
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These two hurricanes come after Hurricane Erin lashed North Carolina's Outer Banks with rough waves and coastal flooding last month.—
Kenton Gewecke,
ABC News,
4 Sep. 2025
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Some liberal commentators, however, have lashed out in response to the shooting, saying calls for prayer are tone deaf responses given the victims were inside a church.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
29 Aug. 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 9 Sep. 2025.
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