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
  • In Madison’s Capitol Times, Paul Fanlud detected some worry from Wikler that Democrats might fumble their project of governing Wisconsin long enough to reform it.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 22 July 2026
  • On Sunday, the Guardians essentially created a compilation video for Little League coaches to show their kids, a crash course in fumbling the fundamentals.
    — Zack Meisel, New York Times, 21 July 2026
Definition of fumble
Verb
  • Mayo, who raced around the court blowing kisses to the WSU fans after Mason’s game-ending 3, finished with 25 points off 3-of-9 3-point shooting.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 28 July 2026
  • The Green Bay Packers endured a highly disappointing 2025 season, finishing 9-8-1 and blowing multiple double-digit leads, including a 21-3 Wild Card advantage against Chicago.
    — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of blow
Verb
  • By the end, Kylian Mbappe, the form player of the tournament, could only screw up his nose in frustration.
    — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 15 July 2026
  • But four years ago, Sorsby screwed up in a massive way.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 June 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
  • Floyd is no longer attracted to his wife, has trouble connecting with his teen-age stepson, and owes tens of thousands in taxes—a set of stressors that are ruining his health.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 July 2026
  • That would ruin a good thing, apparently, and Foerster credited Puni for not only playing through a knee injury last fall but overcoming early-career growing pains.
    — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 20 July 2026
Definition of ruin
Verb
  • For a nightcap, head to Elephant Bar, or opt for the lobby’s calming atmosphere, where a suited & booted pianist takes requests.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 July 2026
  • Players each have 30 seconds on a personal clock, so whoever takes the longest and runs out of time first — sometimes because Jacquis calls for detailed clarifications — gets booted.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 July 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 28 Jul. 2026.

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