messing (up)

verb

present participle of mess (up)
1
as in fumbling
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way messed up the drawing and had to start over

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disrupting
to undo the proper order or arrangement of a nap had messed up her hair and she looked a sight

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stumbling
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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4
as in licking
to strike repeatedly threatened that he would mess him up if he cheated at the game

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for messing (up)
  1. fumbling
  2. disrupting
  3. stumbling
  4. licking
  5. blowing
  6. confusing
  7. tripping
  8. pounding
Verb
  • Most of the world was fumbling and scared, and Fauci seemed to have some idea of what to do.
    — Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Achane, the Miami Dolphins’ starting tailback, was referring to Ollie Gordon II fumbling the ball away in Wednesday practice, the team’s first of training camp.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026
Definition of fumbling
Verb
  • The strategically vital strait has been effectively closed by Iran since fighting began in late February, disrupting a major route for global oil shipments.
    — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Tellis said these private companies would likely be better at surveillance than actually disrupting criminal enterprises.
    — Henry Larson, NPR, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of disrupting
Verb
  • Nothing that would actually stop a person, a child, a wheelchair or a stumbling drunk from going straight into the water.
    — Joseph V. Sakran, Baltimore Sun, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Such a contrast to the wonderful Bootham Crescent, York’s home until 2020 and within stumbling distance of not only the famous Minster but all the city’s many other attractions.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of stumbling
Verb
  • Owners should also watch for licking that is sudden, persistent or severe enough to cause hair loss or skin damage.
    — Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Photos like the one below show children licking massive ice blocks for a slight reprieve from the summer heat.
    — Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of licking
Verb
  • Since then, more suits across the country have followed, blowing huge holes into NCAA eligibility rules, new and old.
    — Justin Williams, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Although skies are still smoky across portions of the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies, not much is blowing east of there.
    — Ben Noll, Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of blowing
Verb
  • The light entering my eyes would bend at two different angles, confusing my brain and making my vision a little blurry.
    — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Bringing in extra mythology wouldn’t make the confusing parts any less confusing, and would just confuse the parts that aren’t confusing at all.
    — Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of confusing
Verb
  • How quickly the brain and body react after tripping — with your foot automatically thrusting forward, for example, to prevent yourself from face-planting — is what plyometrics trains for.
    — Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The plumbing was failing, the floors were uneven and posed tripping hazards, the foundation was crumbling and sewage sometimes backed up into a corner of the kitchen.
    — Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of tripping
Verb
  • Then, in the meditation hall, our cheery host suddenly turned serious and began pounding on a 350-year-old drum from a samurai castle used for marking the beginning of chores.
    — Pico Iyer, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Lala is no longer a hurricane, but the tropical storm is drenching Hawaii with sideways rain, hurricane-force gusts and pounding surf, flooding rivers and triggering mudslides.
    — Alexa St. John, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of pounding
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.

Browse Nearby Words

messing over
messing (up)
messing (with)
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Cite this Entry

“Messing (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messing%20%28up%29. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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