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
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Recent Examples of messes
Bestreviews, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
Rebecca Sheppard specializes in untangling other people’s financial messes.
—Joel Jacobs, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 2026
Life's daily messes can be constant eyesores in even the most beautiful and dreamy of homes.
—Tessa Cooper, Southern Living, 9 Mar. 2026
Keep reading to learn how to tackle messes room by room, from play areas to bedrooms and beyond, all while using products that are safe for tiny hands and curious mouths.
—ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026
Outside of the cabin, these wipes come in handy at meals, while taking public transportation, and when cleaning up small messes at the hotel.
—Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2026
Small fixes prevent messes as information-gathering Mercury turns retrograde in your 6th House of Wellness, nudging you to refine routines and rest your body and mind.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2026
To prevent chaos and messes For parents with young children, age is the top (and a pretty obvious) reason why doors must stay open.
—Liz Regalia, Parents, 26 Feb. 2026
The cleaning pro explains that the oil softens the adhesive in sticky messes, and the baking soda provides some gentle scrubbing ability.
—Maria Sabella, The Spruce, 25 Feb. 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
This plastic table cover does the trick while offering convenient use and protection against spills and messes.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
Rebecca Sheppard specializes in untangling other people’s financial messes.
—Joel Jacobs, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 2026
Life's daily messes can be constant eyesores in even the most beautiful and dreamy of homes.
—Tessa Cooper, Southern Living, 9 Mar. 2026
Keep reading to learn how to tackle messes room by room, from play areas to bedrooms and beyond, all while using products that are safe for tiny hands and curious mouths.
—ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026
Outside of the cabin, these wipes come in handy at meals, while taking public transportation, and when cleaning up small messes at the hotel.
—Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2026
Small fixes prevent messes as information-gathering Mercury turns retrograde in your 6th House of Wellness, nudging you to refine routines and rest your body and mind.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2026
To prevent chaos and messes For parents with young children, age is the top (and a pretty obvious) reason why doors must stay open.
—Liz Regalia, Parents, 26 Feb. 2026
The cleaning pro explains that the oil softens the adhesive in sticky messes, and the baking soda provides some gentle scrubbing ability.
—Maria Sabella, The Spruce, 25 Feb. 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
-
Macaroons are chewy jumbles of coconut bound together with egg whites and sweetened condensed milk.—
Lynda Balslev,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
Daybeds outside the Moroccan restaurant, Fanditha, are the best place to take your meals.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
14 Mar. 2026
-
The shelter offers meals, charging stations, and help with government assistance.—
Mary Kay Kleist,
CBS News,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Twain condemned these horrors with his characteristic mixture of outrage and wit.—
Jonathan Zimmerman,
New York Daily News,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Now after four years of ongoing horrors in Ukraine, and more than two years of watching slaughter and suffering in Gaza, the latest war filling our feeds is just another numbing form of content, a digital arena in which competing forces try to assert conflicting viewpoints.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This approach allows for ramping up or down instantly to maintain high efficiency across varying loads and perfectly match the natural, fluctuating power profile of the sun and wind.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The Type 00 gave Jaguar loads of new identity—being large, distinctive-looking, and very pink—but that identity wasn’t a universal hit with the purists, which is probably why Jaguar persisted anyway.—
Erik Shilling,
Robb Report,
10 Mar. 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
-
But for those looking to stay hyperlocal, the Grand America has menus and venues in-house for every occasion, and the Grand Spa’s full-service specialty treatments are unparalleled in the American West.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The Espresso Proteini rides the ongoing protein hype, as more food chains and brands add protein-centric items to their menus.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Tidal marshes and the Intracoastal Waterway are just a couple of the sights to be seen.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Moore, the undersheriff since 2020, is seeking the countywide seat as the current officeholder, James Mendrick, sets his sights on the governor’s office.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Messes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messes. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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