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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Recent Examples of muck up
The Preakness at 1 3/16 miles is slightly shorter than the 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby, but there’s optimism about close-to-normal conditions after nearly a week’s worth of rain fell on Baltimore and mucked up the dirt track at Pimlico Race Course.
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Stephen Whyno, Baltimore Sun, 16 May 2025
Chicago Tribune The Preakness at 1 3/16 miles is slightly shorter than the 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby, but there’s optimism about close-to-normal conditions after nearly a week’s worth of rain fell on Baltimore and mucked up the dirt track at Pimlico Race Course.
—Stephen Whyno, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2025
Tobias Harris isn’t considered a stalwart defender, but his matchup helped muck up the Knicks’ offensive attack and into ugly possessions.
—Tom Rende, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025
The hydrogen flow keeps vaporized tin from mucking up the system’s optics.
—IEEE Spectrum, 12 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for muck up
Stephen Whyno, Baltimore Sun, 16 May 2025
Chicago Tribune The Preakness at 1 3/16 miles is slightly shorter than the 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby, but there’s optimism about close-to-normal conditions after nearly a week’s worth of rain fell on Baltimore and mucked up the dirt track at Pimlico Race Course.
—Stephen Whyno, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2025
Tobias Harris isn’t considered a stalwart defender, but his matchup helped muck up the Knicks’ offensive attack and into ugly possessions.
—Tom Rende, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025
The hydrogen flow keeps vaporized tin from mucking up the system’s optics.
—IEEE Spectrum, 12 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for muck up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muck up
Verb
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He was sacked seven times and fumbled twice with both loose balls being recovered by the Bills’ defense.—
Mike Kaye,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Oct. 2025
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But that same quarter, Kansas fumbled on a punt that K-State turned into a touchdown.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Giants, meanwhile, are coming off a painful defeat to the Denver Broncos, after blowing a 19-0 lead and losing 33-32 on a last-second Denver field goal after missing two PATs of their own, including one with 37 seconds left.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
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After the final whistle blew at Memorial Stadium, Kiffin made some headlines for his postgame behavior toward an Oklahoma player.—
Matt Audilet,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Managers can either screw up or screw up slightly less than the other guy.—
Grant Brisbee,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
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In a world of near-constant conference realignment and the transfer portal, the annual Red River Rivalry game at the State Fair of Texas is one of the few things the sport hasn’t screwed up.—
Jim Barnes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Also, if Utah or Miami were to score an upset in the opening round, St. Louis would have first dibs at taking that team instead of Orlando, which would foul up these predictions completely.—
Todd Boss,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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Year-long court battles have been waged over exactly how clean the water in the Everglades has to be without fouling up the whole system.—
Alex Harris
July 3,
Miami Herald,
3 July 2025
Verb
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However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Daniella Segura,
Miami Herald,
28 Oct. 2025
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The Chiefs have seen some of league’s premier running backs — such as Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry and Jahmyr Gibbs — and have met each challenge, preventing those elite players from ruining the defensive game plan.—
Emily Curiel,
Kansas City Star,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Prince Andrew's ex-wife Ferguson, however, has also dropped use of her duchess title amid the scandal, and King Charles is reportedly booting the former couple (who continue to live together) from their longtime Royal Lodge home.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
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Murphy’s being booted from Back in Town comes shortly after the disco singer shared a graph on social media which purported to show that the percentage of 18-to-22-year-olds identifying as trans or nonbinary fell precipitously between 2021 and 2024.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them.,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Muck up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muck%20up. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
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