MESSES UP Synonyms: 238 Similar and Opposite Words

messes (up)

verb

present tense third-person singular of mess (up)

as in fumbles

to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way messed up the drawing and had to start over

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as in disrupts

to undo the proper order or arrangement of a nap had messed up her hair and she looked a sight

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as in stumbles

to make a mistake if anyone messes up even once while we're recording, we have to start all over again

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as in licks

to strike repeatedly threatened that he would mess him up if he cheated at the game

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for messes (up)

Verb

Tensions between the galley and the interior continue to escalate over lunch service, when a radio mishap fumbles the order in which the food should go out.

— Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 26 May 2026
The movie fumbles the chance to do something arresting with this seminal period in art.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 12 May 2026

Definition of fumbles

Verb

Taken together, the deals show a company trying to remake itself from a Gulf oil producer into a global energy heavyweight — a push that looks more important than ever as the Iran war disrupts its home market.

— semafor.com, semafor.com, 7 July 2026
The gardeners rake these in twice a day to keep the sand flies away—the insects lay their eggs in moist, undisturbed sand, so regularly turning it disrupts their breeding ground.

— Ariel Leve, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026

Definition of disrupts

Verb

Yet things truly take a turn one day after Miguel stumbles upon a boy, Felipe (Yago Andreu), chained beneath the old water tank near the witch’s old, run-down house.

— Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 8 July 2026
In the first, a quick history tour revisits how bad Minions have been in their quest to find villains to serve, until one group lands in 1920s Hollywood and stumbles into stardom.

— The Week US, TheWeek, 7 July 2026

Definition of stumbles

Verb

These opportunists drown out the core mission, creating a cacophony of competing voices that confuses donors, crowd the inboxes of CEOs and members of Congress with colliding petitions, and paralyzes meaningful action by draining critical funding and attention away from the truly effective groups.

— Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 28 June 2026
But nobody confuses Harvard Extension School classes with the real thing.

— Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 23 June 2026

Definition of confuses

Verb

Santa Ana, the country's tallest volcano), horseback rides along the black sand, and trips out along the Ruta de las Flores.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 July 2026
Powerful superconducting magnets could also provide a solution to the problem of cancer-causing cosmic radiation that explorers will encounter during stays on the moon or trips deeper into space.

— Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 6 July 2026

Definition of trips

Verb

Back from a hamstring injury, Teoscar Hernández rejoins a relentless Dodgers offense that pounds 17 hits and three homers in a 9-4 win over the Athletics.

— Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
Teams go bonkers when the player pounds their school name on the bracket.

— John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 June 2026

Definition of pounds

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messes over

messes (up)

messes (with)

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“Messes (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messes%20%28up%29. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of messes (up)

verb

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