muck up

verb

Definition of muck upnext
as in to fumble
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way I swear, she mucks up everything she tries

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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
  1. fumble
  2. blow
  3. screw up
  4. foul up
  5. ruin
  6. boot
Verb
  • With personal terms already agreed then, all that’s left is for FC Barcelona to persuade City with its transfer package and not fumble this in a manner that would open the door to Real Madrid once more.
    — Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • And Cam Skattebo fumbled at the end of a long run when Layne punched the ball out and corner Korie Black recovered.
    — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of fumble
Verb
  • Then a few months after the trumpets were blown, World War II broke out.
    — Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
  • On a covered walkway between the Imam Hussein and Imam Abbas shrines this week, metal fans blow a cooling mist.
    — Jane Arraf, NPR, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of blow
Verb
  • That screwed up the works / And not due to his sloppy hiring / Of a crew of incompetent jerks.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • So not screwing up Spider-Man is about putting a beating heart at the center rather than a bunch of spectacle.
    — Chris Lee, Vulture, 3 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
  • Meals are taken family style, and the refinement of the cooking will ruin ordinary Indian restaurant fare for you.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Aug. 2026
  • With baseball ruined, the Dodgers will look to avoid their second consecutive series loss via the sweep on Wednesday, sending superstar starter Eric Lauer to the mound against Shota Imanaga.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of ruin
Verb
  • O’Hare booted members of the public from the room for the meeting for disrupting decorum, instead inviting speakers to address the commissioners one-by-one.
    — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Morton read her lines aloud on set with Phoenix during production was booted from the movie and replaced by Scarlett Johansson in post production.
    — Zack Sharf, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of boot

Browse Nearby Words

mucks up
muck up
mucky
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Muck up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muck%20up. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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