1
as in jumbles
a state in which everything is out of order
the bachelor party had left the house in a total mess
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in meals
food eaten or prepared for eating at one time
a mess of oatmeal
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in horrors
something unpleasant to look at
the car was a mess after the accident
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in loads
a considerable amount
an unexpected Super Bowl loss that unleashed a whole mess of finger-pointing and second-guessing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of messes
Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
Geared towards lighter messes, steam cleaning your oven can take a bit of work, but the results are well worth it.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026
Cleaning vinegar is a powerful, eco-friendly solution that can tackle tough household messes better than white vinegar.
—Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 25 Jan. 2026
Use a Lint Roller For smaller, concentrated carpet messes, use a lint roller.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Jan. 2026
Use a baking soda paste to tackle stuck-on messes, then rinse and dry to avoid streaks.
—Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 18 Jan. 2026
Struggling to pull in even the smallest of messes?
—Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 18 Jan. 2026
Kids Songs for Bathtime Toddlers and preschool age kids are sticky messes who sometimes find ingenious ways of getting dirty, which means that skipping bathtime is a big no-no.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 16 Jan. 2026
Turtles also need constant water filtration to control messes and odor.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
In Lost Lambs, the internet sabotages a family in much the same way that Napoleon messes things up for the Bezukhovs in Tolstoy’s War and Peace.
—Gideon Leek, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026
Somebody does something terrible and messes it up.
—Giana Levy, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
Noun
Another part of me thinks that shielding him from the consequences would teach him that someone will always clean up his messes.
—Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
Geared towards lighter messes, steam cleaning your oven can take a bit of work, but the results are well worth it.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026
Cleaning vinegar is a powerful, eco-friendly solution that can tackle tough household messes better than white vinegar.
—Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 25 Jan. 2026
Use a Lint Roller For smaller, concentrated carpet messes, use a lint roller.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Jan. 2026
Use a baking soda paste to tackle stuck-on messes, then rinse and dry to avoid streaks.
—Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 18 Jan. 2026
Struggling to pull in even the smallest of messes?
—Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 18 Jan. 2026
Kids Songs for Bathtime Toddlers and preschool age kids are sticky messes who sometimes find ingenious ways of getting dirty, which means that skipping bathtime is a big no-no.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 16 Jan. 2026
Turtles also need constant water filtration to control messes and odor.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
Verb
Each has a meltdown worthy of a telenovela, messes with the crime scene and hours later the police are called.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
In Lost Lambs, the internet sabotages a family in much the same way that Napoleon messes things up for the Bezukhovs in Tolstoy’s War and Peace.
—Gideon Leek, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026
Somebody does something terrible and messes it up.
—Giana Levy, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for messes
Noun
-
The result also spotlights conference championships’ awkward fit in the current system, particularly given the fact that conference expansion has led to jumbles atop each league’s standings.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
7 Dec. 2025
-
Ray’s most chaotic photograms—jumbles that push out of the frame or look like time bombs ready to explode—find echoes in his films, projected on the back walls, a show in themselves.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
That reliability meant families across Connecticut were able to go about their daily lives – reading with their kids, cooking meals in their kitchens and staying warm inside – even as severe weather raged outside.—
Steve Sullivan,
Hartford Courant,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Kelly’s lackeys dropped off meals, often delivered with a specific code knock on the door.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Our phones bring us delights and numbing distractions, but also fresh horrors every day.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
30 Jan. 2026
-
But some of the daily horrors are different.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The company has been generating revenue since shortly after its founding in 2017, hauling loads for customers like Walmart in trucks with human safety drivers at the wheel.—
Alan Ohnsman,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
-
There are loads of cool details hidden throughout the set, too, with refuelling pipes and a moving bridge that connects the tower to the Orion module.—
Ian Stokes,
Space.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
If Washington overtly interferes in European elections or takes the dramatic step of annexing Greenland, the postwar alliance framework, already strained, could fracture.—
Ian Bremmer,
Time,
6 Jan. 2026
-
This Ministry frequently interferes in employers’ decisions, instigates acts of discrimination by authorities and organizations, brings weight to bear on the organs of justice and even orchestrates propaganda campaigns in the media.—
Jonny Diamond,
Literary Hub,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Smith stays largely mum on the news of the day, be that Kirk’s killing, or ICE raids, or whatever hells await in the coming weeks.—
Sam Kestenbaum,
Vulture,
2 Jan. 2026
-
The protagonist's youth doesn't defang the story, as Silent Hill f wastes no time thrusting Hinako and her friends into their personal hells.—
Zackery Cuevas,
PC Magazine,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Fast-food chains like Shake Shack and Chipotle are among those that have rolled out high-protein, lower-carb menus, as Fox News Digital previously reported.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The hotel makes the most of its Northern California location by regularly pairing Napa Valley’s top wine producers with seasonal four-course menus at signature eatery, Quattro.—
Forbes Travel Guide,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
San Francisco is home to iconic sights like cable cars, Chinatown, North Beach, curvy Lombard Street, the Painted Ladies houses, the Presidio, Golden Gate Park, and nearby Alcatraz Island, as well as endless dining options for every budget and palate.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Skin care brands are setting their sights on acne, and for good reason.—
Noor Lobad,
Footwear News,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Messes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messes. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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