as in fumbled
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
I swear, she mucks up everything she tries
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 mucked up
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
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
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mucked up
Verb
-
Payton fumbled on the second play from scrimmage, and the Patriots recovered at the Bears' 19-yard line.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
To do so, the Patriots must keep enough heat off Drake Maye, who has taken 10 sacks and fumbled six times in the playoffs.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The climate may get screwed up in new ways as scientists attempt to turn the planet’s temperature dial down.—
Christian Elliott,
The Atlantic,
31 Jan. 2026
-
What Mager is showing here is the difference between kids and adults, the openness and willingness to be bold and confront things head on with matter-of-fact honesty in a world that is being screwed up by their elders and those in charge.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Organizers handed out plastic whistles, which participants blew as music blared from a van.—
Colleen Barry,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Jan. 2026
-
When the full-time whistle blew at the Alinma Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Matthias Jaissle was wild-eyed.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Frankly, this ruined my birthday for me for the next forty years.—
Gaby Iori
January 27,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Knowing what not to wash together can save plenty of headaches (and ruined garments and linens) down the line.—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
James Folta Talks to Bookseller Angela Schwesnedl Angela Schwesnedl from Moon Palace Books in Minneapolis picked up my phone call on Saturday almost two hours to the minute after Alex Pretti was murdered in the street by ICE officers.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Eger watched her parents taken away to the gas chambers where more than a million people, primarily of Jewish descent, were murdered.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Note Pro also has excellent battery life, able to record 30 hours of audio continuously on a charge in what’s dubbed Enhanced Mode.—
Dwight Silverman,
Houston Chronicle,
31 Jan. 2026
-
New York may be dubbed the city that never sleeps, but Los Angeles gives it a run for its money—at least during Grammys weekend.—
Kelsey Stewart,
Vogue,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mucked up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mucked%20up. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
