1
as in fumbling
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
messed up the drawing and had to start over
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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)
Verb
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But Henry hasn’t made a habit of fumbling throughout his career, so this is an unusual stretch.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
26 Sep. 2025 -
The uncharacteristic nature of fumbling the ball three times in a row is not lost on the star running back.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Ride-hailing giants Uber and Bolt are disrupting Kenya’s lucrative safari market with new services that are driving fears of price cuts among traditional tour operators.—
Martin K.N Siele,
semafor.com,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Cuban founded Cost Plus Drugs, a similar direct-to-consumer (DTC) platform, in 2022 with the goal of disrupting the health care industry.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Ross and the unit's six other horses are responsible for helping the police handle crowd control, whether its amid the thousands stumbling through Lower Broadway or the rush of 65,000 fans entering or leaving Nissan Stadium for a Titans game.—
Craig Shoup,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Oct. 2025
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In other words, Steve is a lot to play, and the Oscar-winner throws himself into every forlorn expression, every kindly mentoring session, every manic bit of rushing to and fro as chaos reigns around him, every stumbling step toward self-medicating into oblivion.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In fact, the mischievous pup led his owner directly to the scene of the crime by licking his lips constantly, which seemed awfully curious.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Bear 856 is also a large, male brown bear, who is easily identifiable to park rangers due to the animal's unusual habit of licking his lips — a behavior not typically observed in brown bears.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Equating your value to your bank account, or blowing cash to feel validated.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
5 Oct. 2025
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He and his apprentices host glass- blowing classes on Fridays and Saturdays (reservation required), when guests can make anything from a bowl to a tumbler to an ornament.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Farley, a former New York City health commissioner who teaches at Tulane University, acknowledged that many factors contribute to falls, including the physical impairments and deteriorating eyesight associated with advancing age; alcohol abuse; and tripping hazards in people’s homes.—
Paula Span,
Miami Herald,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Carr ends up tripping and falling down stairs, eating soup laced with Plan B One Step emergency contraceptive, and getting doused in cat feces, which leads to him contracting toxoplasmosis, a parasite that can be transferred to fetuses during pregnancy.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Layered with live jazz and pounding percussion from experimental duo Robin Schulkowsky and Joey Baron, the result gave Hedda an extra pulse.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Oct. 2025
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My heart was pounding in my chest and in my ears.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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CarShield has received positive comments for its breadth of coverage and quick response times, although some policyholders have complained about claim denials, fine-print surprises and confusing sales practices.—
Brian Sloan,
CNBC,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The merger will divide Elon, confusing prospective and current students.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
2 Oct. 2025
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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 7 Oct. 2025.
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