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
Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 4 Apr. 2026
Spurs’ playing squad is a muddle, the legacy of a generation’s worth of short-termism and too many coaching changes to mention.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 6 May 2026
Especially among activists and academics, this explosion of identities has muddled Crenshaw’s neat system of greater and lesser disadvantage.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for muddle
Noun
Now, researchers plan to extend their investigations to nearby early settlement sites to determine if Culasawani is a midden or muddle.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 4 Apr. 2026
Spurs’ playing squad is a muddle, the legacy of a generation’s worth of short-termism and too many coaching changes to mention.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Verb
That reasoning is muddled, but according to Kneecap, they weren’t supposed to find out about this letter.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 6 May 2026
Especially among activists and academics, this explosion of identities has muddled Crenshaw’s neat system of greater and lesser disadvantage.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for muddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muddle
Noun
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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
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Macaroons are chewy jumbles of coconut bound together with egg whites and sweetened condensed milk.—
Lynda Balslev,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Other bedding plants for summer color in sunny sites include angelonia, blue daze, bush daisy, Joseph’s coat, melampodium, salvia, torenia and zinnias.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 May 2026
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Those around me were in a daze.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Constant changes and slow IRS guidance led to widespread confusion and, eventually, abuse that forced the IRS to put a moratorium on claims on September 14, 2023 until August 8, 2024.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
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So there’s little doubt that the emergence of jumbo-size Messi’s across America’s lawns create more intrigue than confusion, even in a nation where soccer as a whole remains a second-tier sport.—
Ian Nicholas Quillen,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Noun
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Its multidirectional lugs keep you stable and grounded across a variety of surfaces, including city streets, cobblestone, and slippery hardwood floors.—
Jasmine Gomez,
Travel + Leisure,
23 May 2026
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There is no single right answer to the question of how many potatoes grow from one potato; the yield depends on a range of factors, such as the potato variety, the time of planting, the growing conditions, and more.—
Nadia Hassani,
The Spruce,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
Ramírez, half-awake, was confused as to why Pevey wanted to speak with him.—
Andy Martinez,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
-
Schoen’s contract extension is confusing at best.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
22 May 2026
Verb
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There has also been concern that two common sunscreen ingredients, homosalate and oxybenzone, may have endocrine-disrupting properties.—
Devika Rao,
TheWeek,
18 May 2026
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Residents rallied against landowner Matt Connell’s proposal with many expressing concerns the burial site would disrupt their quiet community and contaminate groundwater or attract wildlife that could dig up the graves.—
Karina Tsui,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026
Noun
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Becerra blunder The first ad that grabbed my attention was a quick-turn by San José Mayor and gubernatorial candidate Matt Mahan (still stuck in single-digit polling numbers), who jumped on Xavier Becerra’s first major mess-up.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
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That way, the bristles can cling to your skincare products instead of dripping into the brush’s base and making a mess.—
Katie Decker-Jacoby,
StyleCaster,
14 May 2026
Noun
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Instruments and voices accumulate into immense, sustained, saturating dissonances, with a snare drum cutting through the tear-gas haze.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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Scientists believe seasonal winter clouds and hazes in the region may be limiting how atmospheric dust scatters sunlight there.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Muddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muddle. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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