as in fumbles
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mucks up
Verb
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If the creditor fumbles the process, then an otherwise valid and collectible debt may be barred.—
Virginia Hammerle,
Dallas Morning News,
8 Mar. 2026 -
Sonny feels like a departure; unlike Bernthal’s mercenaries, Sonny fumbles with his gun, has a bleeding heart, and lays his vulnerabilities bare.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But Lee’s reputation would suffer serious blows more recently.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
27 Mar. 2026
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Plan on a brisk Friday afternoon and evening as much colder air blows into Maryland.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But what really screws up Julia are the deliveries.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
17 Mar. 2026
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Kyle tries to jump up the wall, lands awkwardly, and screws up his ankle.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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One drop of red dye ruins the whole thing.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
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And as per usual, a man ruins everything.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Geillis, on her quest to install Bonnie Prince Charlie on the throne, murders her husband as a blood sacrifice and walks through the stones.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2026
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Her unscrupulous, power-hungry uncle Claudius (Kôji Yakusho) murders his own brother to become king.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Dominic Zvada boots a 31-yard field goal to give the Wolverines the lead.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Soon a tunnel between the ships, then a meeting, with a friendly, inquisitive alien who looks like a sort of craggy spider/crab, whom Grace dubs Rocky.—
Katie Walsh,
Twin Cities,
21 Mar. 2026
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Soon a tunnel between the ships, then a meeting, with a friendly, inquisitive alien who looks like a sort of craggy spider/crab, whom Grace dubs Rocky.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
19 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Mucks up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mucks%20up. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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