as in fumbled
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 mucked up
Even in the harshest descriptions of the violence and almost unbelievably cruel twists of fate that Yarris endured (the DNA testing keeps getting accidentally mucked up), Brody lends him a vital indomitable spark.
—
Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
Toronto is a good defensive team but doesn’t shoot the 3-ball well and has a half-court offense that can get mucked up and relies heavily on midrange jumpers.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 9 Mar. 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
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
Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
Toronto is a good defensive team but doesn’t shoot the 3-ball well and has a half-court offense that can get mucked up and relies heavily on midrange jumpers.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 9 Mar. 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
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
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Before that, when the Jets could have taken the lead on their opening drive, Allen fumbled on the Dolphins’ 1-yard line.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
12 June 2026
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The Spurs had one more chance, but Stephon Castle fumbled the inbounds pass and pandemonium at Madison Square Garden followed.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
Verb
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But four years ago, Sorsby screwed up in a massive way.—
Trey Wallace OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
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The two screwed up a top-rope stunner as Excalibur struggled to explain what happened like a 2026 Jim Ross.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2026
Verb
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Messi somehow blew a penalty kick in the eighth minute, when teammate Lautaro Martinez was brought down by Austrian defender Stefan Posch.—
Filip Bondy,
New York Daily News,
22 June 2026
-
Several hours before the whistle blew on the pitch, Norwegian fans flocked to Times Square in the heart of New York City to give their squad a proper sendoff.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
22 June 2026
Verb
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Showing up to shoot in person would only have ruined the city with its realness.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
17 June 2026
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Pete Crow-Armstrong put his name in the Chicago Cubs' record book next to Hall of Fame slugger Hack Wilson — and then nearly ruined the celebration at Wrigley Field.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 June 2026
Verb
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But their strategy was fouled up when the car’s occupants switched on the headlights, throwing a glare up the tote road along which the wardens had planned to sprint.—
Dave Duffey,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
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Wild turkeys gobbled up Staten Island straphangers’ time on Monday, after a flock fouled up service on the Staten Island Railway.—
Evan Simko-Bednarski,
New York Daily News,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Thirty years after she was murdered, Aimee Willard is still honoring her legacy with a garden of sunflowers in Delaware County.—
Joe Holden,
CBS News,
23 June 2026
-
Later on, Jaehaerys II is murdered in the episode’s climax.—
Skyler Trepel,
PEOPLE,
22 June 2026
Verb
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The blaze, dubbed the Calhoun Fire, broke out near Calhoun Street and Kellogg Avenue, Cal Fire said in an incident report.—
Jason Green,
Mercury News,
20 June 2026
-
The two were on the North Kaibab Trail, dubbed the least visited and most difficult of the Grand Canyon’s major inner canyon trails.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
20 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mucked up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mucked%20up. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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