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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He was sacked seven times and fumbled twice with both loose balls being recovered by the Bills’ defense.—
Mike Kaye,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Oct. 2025 -
Franklin fumbled on the Broncos’ first possession against the New York Jets in London.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The outage stems from a lapse in federal funding during the shutdown that began at the end of September, which temporarily disrupted FLAG access and paused the processing of employer applications.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Of 763 water systems on the island, 641 were disrupted.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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But even on a night where Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards scored 31, no one was better than Dončić, who only stumbled when the Lakers tried to get him to 50 points.—
Dan Woike,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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Abdi stumbled, and only kept himself upright by leaning with both hands on his cane.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Some even licked the candy to soften it -- a trick used by contestants in the show.—
Hakyung Kate Lee,
ABC News,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Napkins were crumpled; plates were licked.—
Helen Shaw,
New Yorker,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The lot of us, dressed in our finery, descend upon the event, bidding a quick hello to Ronson and earning some stares from the upstate locals, confused by our presence—and matching outfits.—
Hannah Jackson,
Vogue,
30 Oct. 2025
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Her daughter was confused, and eventually asked Nasser for an explanation as to what had been said.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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On Canal Street on Thursday morning, lost tourists tripped over commuters hustling out of the subway, the grates on the souvenir stores went up, but most of the street vendors were still missing.—
Matthew Sedacca,
Curbed,
23 Oct. 2025
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Prodded by a fan question about bloopers while reading a story on air, asked by Bravo host Andy Cohen, Daly recalled how working with a teleprompter and a big name like Leonardo DiCaprio tripped him up.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Inflation and rising costs have pounded the holiday budgets of most Americans, with many stretching their dollars further and starting their holiday planning earlier.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
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After exchanging zeros, All-Star catcher Will Smith pounded a solo home run with two outs in the 11th inning.—
Gabe Smallson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Picking sweet Julie mangoes from the big tree in the front yard of my childhood home; going to the beach where my late brother tried (and failed) to teach me to swim; visiting relatives during the summer in the very areas that were now being lashed by rain and wind.—
Grace White,
Essence,
29 Oct. 2025
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Vargas floated groups of migrants across the informal border crossing between Guatemala and Mexico on a makeshift raft made from wooden boards lashed to fat inner tubes.—
Daniel Gonzalez,
AZCentral.com,
29 Oct. 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 6 Nov. 2025.
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