MUCK UP Synonyms: 61 Similar and Opposite Words

muck up

verb

Definition of muck up

as in to fumble

to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way I swear, she mucks up everything she tries

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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.

Recent Examples of muck up Teams continue to sag off Hart in the half court to try to muck up New York’s offense. — James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026 Well, the first and third mucked up their stories with some overly contrived lore about cults and gods, and the fourth was an experiment for the formula that didn’t quite work. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026 At least not Will Welch, GQ’s longstanding editor-in-chief and global editorial director, who was absolutely zen about the threat of an atmospheric river mucking up the mag’s Men of the Year celebration last night. — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 14 Nov. 2025 Lawmakers need to get back to Washington to end the government shutdown - a shutdown that has mucked up travel plans around the country by contributing to widespread flight delays. — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 11 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for muck up

Recent Examples of Synonyms for muck up

Verb

After Jordan fumbled away a screen pass, Maiava later found Mosley for that 68-yard score.

— Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
Balogun didn’t hurt his stock or his public image by walking away from Everton, a club that fumbled its way through another transfer window.

— Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of fumble

Verb

That doesn’t mean the Yankees screwed up in their process by trading for Stanton.

— Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Every time a player screwed up, the coaching staff and his teammates received a text message, calling out both the infraction and the guilty party.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of screw up

Verb

In the end, though, neither an explosion nor a giant spill of fluid that could foul up waterways and the ocean occurred.

— Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026
An incorrect connection or approach can foul up a line, damage a plane or cause an accident.

— Tara Copp The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 25 May 2026

Definition of foul up

Verb

The fight between a small Georgia community and tech giant Meta has escalated this week after four families filed a lawsuit against the company alleging a central Georgia data center project has contaminated their water and ruined their home values.

— Irene Wright, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Gen, forgetting her swollen wrist, perks up at the thought of having a new person to ruin sheets with.

— Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of ruin

Verb

House Speaker Mike Johnson is tested by his narrow majority almost daily, and his predecessor, Kevin McCarthy, was the first in history to be booted from office, ousted by a small number of opponents from his own side.

— Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Many foreign energy companies, including American oil majors ConocoPhillips and ExxonMobil, had their assets seized by Venezuela in 2007 during then-President Hugo Chávez’s nationalization drive and were booted out of the country.

— David Goldman, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of boot

Browse Nearby Words

mucks up

muck up

mucky

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Style

“Muck up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muck%20up. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of muck up

verb

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