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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The lawyer suggested the doctors at the Meadows fumbled Spacey’s treatment because their program was geared toward addiction.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
19 Mar. 2026 -
The Warriors had a chance to send the game to overtime on the final possession of regulation, but Post, who hit four 3s on the night, fumbled the catch and turned the ball over, leaving the Knicks with the ball as the shot clock expired.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Middle East crisis has severely disrupted oil exports through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, which typically carries about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquified natural gas (LNG) and represents a key choke point for fertilizer trade.—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
25 Mar. 2026
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Energy prices are volatile as the Iran conflict has disrupted flows through the Strait of Hormuz.—
Derek Chollet,
semafor.com,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Ticket The numbers favor Dallas It’s been a while since the Stars have stumbled against the Devils.—
SportsDay Staff,
Dallas Morning News,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Florida stumbled so badly that the Gators fired coach Billy Napier.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Rumor has it the fashion crowd licked the shelves clean in Paris as soon as the first designs hit stores.—
Christina Holevas,
Vogue,
26 Mar. 2026
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Of course, the flue was closed, so the fire licked up the walls, left a smell like the fall, like ancient smokehouses and dung.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And now New Idea is reporting that Baker’s ex, Rebecca Rigg, who is very close to Kidman, is a bit confused by the situation.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
30 Mar. 2026
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In addition, DraftKings argues that consumers aren’t confused by DraftKings’ use of March Madness.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This year’s Loons have tripped out of the gate, with only four out of a possible 12 points.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
20 Mar. 2026
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That tripped an alarm bell, and the marketing firm owner ended the call.—
Julia Ainsley,
NBC news,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Old timers can recall when clockwork storms pounded in the summer and drizzled in the winter.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
26 Mar. 2026
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The fort stood high above the river, where fearsome artillery was able to turn back the Union gunboats that had pounded low-lying Fort Henry into submission.—
Bill Steiden,
Des Moines Register,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Trump has lashed out at a number of G7 members and NATO allies for not responding to his calls for help in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, although in recent days several of them had indicated a willingness to back appropriate action to restore the key waterway to normal traffic.—
Matthew Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 2026
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Many Banksy fans mourned the loss of the mystery and lashed out at the news outlet.—
Laurie Kellman,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Mar. 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 1 Apr. 2026.
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