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
Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 12 June 2026
These devices have significant improvements from old-school vacuums, like long battery life, powerful suction, HEPA filtration to remove unwanted airborne particles, and wet-dry features to tackle the toughest messes.
—Blake Bakkila, Architectural Digest, 12 June 2026
But even using something like a sealable sandwich bag or the liner from your hotel’s ice bucket could go a long way toward preventing messes.
—Elliott Harrell, Travel + Leisure, 8 June 2026
This performance rug is built for real life, as it’s designed to withstand heavy foot traffic and everyday messes.
—Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 7 June 2026
This lesson about making messes and then taking responsibility for them is wrapped in the cutest packaging—even your most stubborn toddler won’t be able to resist trying out cleaning the playroom for themselves.
—Parents, 5 June 2026
Instead of focusing on deep cleans or tackling big projects in a single sitting, these micro-cleans prevent messes from spiraling.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 2 June 2026
These include small but powerful things, like making coffee, cleaning up messes, handling obscure admin tasks, managing owners and external reporting, managing cash flow, improving legal contracts, resolving legal conflicts—and staying positive amid times of extreme crisis.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
For sticky stains, tough spots, or greasy messes, hydrogen peroxide and baking soda mixed into a paste can be used as a spot treatment.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 May 2026
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
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
Noun
Tips To Keep Your Stove Grates Clean Longer Clean up spills and messes as soon as the burner and grates have cooled to prevent a buildup of residue.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 12 June 2026
These devices have significant improvements from old-school vacuums, like long battery life, powerful suction, HEPA filtration to remove unwanted airborne particles, and wet-dry features to tackle the toughest messes.
—Blake Bakkila, Architectural Digest, 12 June 2026
But even using something like a sealable sandwich bag or the liner from your hotel’s ice bucket could go a long way toward preventing messes.
—Elliott Harrell, Travel + Leisure, 8 June 2026
This performance rug is built for real life, as it’s designed to withstand heavy foot traffic and everyday messes.
—Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 7 June 2026
This lesson about making messes and then taking responsibility for them is wrapped in the cutest packaging—even your most stubborn toddler won’t be able to resist trying out cleaning the playroom for themselves.
—Parents, 5 June 2026
Instead of focusing on deep cleans or tackling big projects in a single sitting, these micro-cleans prevent messes from spiraling.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 2 June 2026
These include small but powerful things, like making coffee, cleaning up messes, handling obscure admin tasks, managing owners and external reporting, managing cash flow, improving legal contracts, resolving legal conflicts—and staying positive amid times of extreme crisis.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
For sticky stains, tough spots, or greasy messes, hydrogen peroxide and baking soda mixed into a paste can be used as a spot treatment.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 May 2026
Verb
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
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
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
Noun
-
Parents also reported cutting corners to purchase diapers such as skipping meals or bill payments, according to a 2024 study by the National Diaper Bank Network.—
Lina Ruiz
December 8,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Dec. 2025
-
With more cold days ahead, the center, which provides free meals along with other resources, is unsure if that means more people will visit the center.—
Kaicey Baylor,
CBS News,
8 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
As Castillo gradually makes clear, Girlie is suppressing a lot of pain, even beyond the daily horrors of her work.—
The Atlantic,
The Atlantic,
4 Dec. 2025
-
Paired with the visual trickery of the hallucinations, the horrors of Sleep Awake often resemble sleep paralysis.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
3 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The initial system, named Eos, serves as a large-scale prototype designed to achieve steady-state fusion and test structural integrity under real operational loads.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
10 June 2026
-
Einride's proprietary optimization software, Saga AI, is also being used to manage EV execution of select Amazon loads, including charging planning.—
Eric Rosenbaum,
CNBC,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
This act interferes greatly with local departments of planning and development for erroneous climate protocols enacted by Ronald Regan.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
-
This is where Earth’s atmosphere interferes least.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
All’s well that metal-as-hells well.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
27 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The center's restaurants and café have vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free items marked on their menus, and food allergies and special dietary needs will be accommodated as much as possible.—
Sara Tenenbaum,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
-
Select Irish and British restaurants already sell Kwench drinks, but Australia and Canada will add them to their permanent menus this year.—
Amelia Lucas,
CNBC,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
But for now, he's got his sights set on Team England ahead of the North American World Cup, which kicks off in Mexico City June 11.—
Wendy Grossman Kantor,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
-
Alongside the big-ticket sights, families might join a soccer match with local children and crew, swim in the Nile, explore by felucca, try sand dune boarding, attend a galabeya party, or peek behind the scenes in the captain’s wheelhouse.—
Ashlea Halpern,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Messes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messes. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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