1
as in jumble
a state in which everything is out of order
things at the newly built school were all in a muddle on opening day
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in daze
a state of mental confusion
I was in such a muddle after the accident that I didn't know where I was
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3
as in confusion
a state of mental uncertainty
the new, supposedly improved forms simply put taxpayers in a bigger muddle
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4
as in variety
an unorganized collection or mixture of various things
a muddle of old magazines piled on the shelves
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1
as in to confuse
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
a car shopper thoroughly muddled by too much well-meaning advice
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2
as in to disrupt
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
some mischievous brat had muddled the household accounts
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of muddle
Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
That muddle is making a dangerous situation even more potentially volatile.
—Chris Smith, Vanity Fair, 23 Dec. 2025
The Athletic College Basketball Staff, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Cross-functional collaboration that isn’t muddled in hierarchy speeds up innovation.
—Claire Zillman, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for muddle
Noun
Another muddle concerns his expectations of economic gains from artificial intelligence.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
That muddle is making a dangerous situation even more potentially volatile.
—Chris Smith, Vanity Fair, 23 Dec. 2025
Verb
Injuries on both sides muddle things a bit.
—The Athletic College Basketball Staff, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Cross-functional collaboration that isn’t muddled in hierarchy speeds up innovation.
—Claire Zillman, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for muddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muddle
Noun
-
Arches and natural bridges sweep like buttresses from jumbles of rock, giving this landscape a mystical, cathedral-like quality.—
Madison Chapman,
Outside,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Macaroons are chewy jumbles of coconut bound together with egg whites and sweetened condensed milk.—
Lynda Balslev,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Those around me were in a daze.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Greene made the catch, and Meadows landed on his back in a daze, barely moving with his hands pointed up and blood appearing on his face.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Little ones who came out of the casket viewing with their parents wore expressions of confusion and shock after witnessing eight bodies that didn’t look so different from their own.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
10 May 2026
-
Online reactions to the incident ranged from confusion to humor.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
In the coming weeks, Berkebile, along with his colleague Brian Weinberg, will lead a variety of projects, including building a parking lot and welcome plaza equipped with benches and informational signage about the forest.—
Jenna Ebbers,
Kansas City Star,
8 May 2026
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The company started importing goods from Chinese vendors two years ago to make up for a dearth of suppliers in Africa who can deliver a wide variety of large orders at scale with favorable prices, Dufay said.—
Alexander Onukwue,
semafor.com,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
The red, purple or sometimes gold root vegetable — not to be confused with its white cousin, the sugar beet — is low-calorie and packed with nutrients and compounds linked to benefits, ranging from brain health to athletic performance.—
Teresa Mull,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
-
Companion plants with strong odors are used to confuse pests or mask the scent of crops so insect pests cannot find them.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
What’s next for I-77 South Carter-Adamson and Ivory were disappointed to hear that I-77 will once again disrupt lives around Charlotte.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 May 2026
-
Canvas outage disrupted students during finals The timing made the outage especially frustrating.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Congress is going to have to address the mess created by not enforcing past immigration laws.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
This compounds the mess inherent to cooking with a young child, who, turns out, is apt to get as much flour on the floor as inside the bowl.—
Rachel Tepper Paley,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Coastal and eastern areas offer more dramatic settings, but come with greater risk from haze and obstruction.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
10 May 2026
-
Clouds, hills, buildings or even distant haze can block the view.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Muddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muddle. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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