MESSES Synonyms: 314 Similar and Opposite Words

messes 1 of 2

noun

plural of mess

as in jumbles

a state in which everything is out of order the bachelor party had left the house in a total mess

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as in meals

food eaten or prepared for eating at one time a mess of oatmeal

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as in horrors

something unpleasant to look at the car was a mess after the accident

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visions

as in loads

a considerable amount an unexpected Super Bowl loss that unleashed a whole mess of finger-pointing and second-guessing

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messes

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of mess

as in interferes

to interest oneself in what is not one's concern please don't mess with me while I'm trying to concentrate

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of messes

Noun

Andrew Schaefer, a forty-two-year-old father in Orlando, Florida, who helps people out of tax messes, also likes to wager on elections. — Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2026 Instead of bright or pure white finishes, creamy tones are more forgiving against scuffs, fingerprints, smudges, and everyday kitchen messes. — Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 3 Nov. 2026 Others have used it to remove oily stains from their toddlers like crayon marks on carpet, and one reviewer says it’s saved many of their clothes from being ruined in a household with unavoidable messes from both kids and pets. — Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2026 Covers shield upholstery from coffee spills, food stains, pet accidents and everyday messes. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Oct. 2026 Coffee spills, muddy shoes, pet mishaps, and everyday messes don’t have to turn into decorating disasters. — Ethan Stone october 9, Idaho Statesman, 9 Oct. 2026 Tackle stubborn messes effortlessly with the Roborock Qrevo Edge 2 Robot Vacuum and Mop. — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 8 Oct. 2026 Restaurant owners and auteurs have come to rely on her small business, Union Stitch & Design, for customizable aprons that look neat and can withstand the heat and messes of the kitchen. — Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 7 Oct. 2026 Shop More Fashion Deals Home and Household Essentials Between kids, pets, and everyday messes, there’s always something left on my floors. — Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2026

Verb

Address messes immediately, use a cleaning caddy for convenience, and manage paperwork promptly. — Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Sep. 2026 Ships, like airplanes, are designed with fluid dynamics in mind, and biofoul seriously messes that up. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 23 June 2026 From pet hair to crumbs, this Shark handheld cordless vacuum cleaner can tackle messes large and small, thanks to strong suction and a self-cleaning brush that resists pet hair accumulation. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2026 Like that series, this movie messes with your mind by taking full advantage of creepy backroom spaces. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 23 May 2026 When Kristi tells her this place messes with your mind, Mari tells her this is different. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026 But pollen also messes with sleep, ups the risk of sinus infections, causes people to miss school and work, and can pose more serious dangers. — Keerti Gopal, ArsTechnica, 8 May 2026 This rug can stand up to all your pets’ messes with its durable fibers that are easy to spot-clean. — Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2026 The latter may be tied to iron deficiency from irregular periods, plus the drop in estrogen, which messes with the dopamine activity that regulates muscle control. — Erica Sloan, SELF, 24 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for messes

Noun

Arches and natural bridges sweep like buttresses from jumbles of rock, giving this landscape a mystical, cathedral-like quality.

— Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
Macaroons are chewy jumbles of coconut bound together with egg whites and sweetened condensed milk.

— Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026

Definition of jumbles

Noun

Food and drink Some guests at Kapano and Dithaba may choose to visit Lelapo for meals (the menu is the same everywhere).

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Nov. 2026
The novel attends to their quiet conversations, their modest meals, their everyday work, whether caring for the sick, staffing a thrift shop or demolishing a silo.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of meals

Noun

The horrors of the atomic bomb, America’s culpability and relation to postwar Japan, and the morality of revenge are major themes in Minus Zero.

— James Grebey, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2026
When Eric Bentley assembled this 1972 docudrama from House Un-American Activities Committee transcripts, the playwright savvily stripped his work of dramatic license and laid bare the Red Scare’s horrors.

— Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of horrors

Noun

The elasticity of the cloud isn’t available in an air-gapped on-premise environment; hence, the size needs to account for the peak loads.

— Karan Alang, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026
PlusAI is a company working on autonomous trucking solutions with Nvidia, and the sand was in the trailers to simulate freight loads.

— Nick Indge, ArsTechnica, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of loads

Verb

If a person interferes or one step fails, the system can adjust its plan and retry rather than requiring the entire task to be restarted.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026
But as China’s 2018 detention of two Canadian citizens after Canada arrested a Huawei executive showed, the party readily interferes in the legal system when important interests are at stake.

— Mark Jia, Foreign Affairs, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of interferes

Noun

An episode of septicemia, with its hells and paradises, its nightmares and hallucinations, transforms Borges into a story writer.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026
The Avici hell is the lowest and most terrible level of the eight hot hells of Buddhism, where those who’ve committed serious crimes (like parricide) must face constant suffering.

— Regina Kim, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026

Definition of hells

Noun

Josie’s breakfast and lunch menus, says Sieve, will have no shortage of diner classics like country fried steak and eggs, biscuits and gravy, buttermilk pancakes, a Reuben sandwich and Grandma Helen’s Swedish meatballs.

— Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2026
Joining the singles over candlelit tasting menus crafted by local celebrity chefs will be local single Finns.

— Lola Akinmade, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of menus

Noun

That was the case in 2019 when the department set its sights on Organ Pipe.

— Ryan Devereaux, ProPublica, 2 Nov. 2026
After mudslides in Big Sur caused a three-year closure, some of the most scenic sections of the Pacific Coast Highway have been reopened, giving travelers the opportunity to take in the inspirational sights of California’s coastline.

— Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 1 Nov. 2026