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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Chris Smith, Vanity Fair, 23 Dec. 2025
Trump is trying to turn that muddle into a single demand for cheaper, thirstier trucks.
—Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 14 Mar. 2026
Costco's has a terrific taste and aroma of basil, but is muddled by an excess of creamy dairy.
—Paul Stephen, San Antonio Express-News, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for muddle
Noun
That muddle is making a dangerous situation even more potentially volatile.
—Chris Smith, Vanity Fair, 23 Dec. 2025
Trump is trying to turn that muddle into a single demand for cheaper, thirstier trucks.
—Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
Verb
Together the flavor is muddled, slightly discordant, but alone the Irish whiskey gets to sing, its apples and pears and slight malt and gentle touch a perfect foil to the zesty front palate of the lemon and the deep finish of the almonds.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 14 Mar. 2026
Costco's has a terrific taste and aroma of basil, but is muddled by an excess of creamy dairy.
—Paul Stephen, San Antonio Express-News, 11 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
-
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
-
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.—
Dave Campbell,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Invite someone in, agree on a clear next step, and follow through together so momentum builds without confusion or mixed signals.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
27 Apr. 2026
-
After shooting, there was initial confusion as to what had happened before journalists were able to reach their news outlets to report the details of what unfolded.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Since 2007, Congress has relied on a variety of general fund offsets to cover an increasingly larger share of the HTF.—
Andrew Stasiowski,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Gray served in a variety of consequential positions over the years and wielded influence deftly to the benefit of the community, said Dick Batchelor, who represented Central Florida in the Legislature from 1974 to 1982 and regarded Gray as a sage confidant.—
Stephen Hudak,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Old luggage barcode stickers can confuse airline systems and increase the risk of bags being misrouted or delayed.—
Joey Skladany,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Directness is often confused with insensitivity.—
Jonathan Alpert OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The United Nations Development Programme reports that higher energy prices, disrupted food systems, and economic slowdowns triggered by the war could push up to thirty-two million people globally into poverty.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Ahead of them, Joe Willock (white) was in position to defend a short corner and Jacob Murphy (orange) played a hybrid role to help disrupt Gabriel, before protecting the area near the penalty spot and also keeping an eye out for late runners.—
Ahmed Walid,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There was this one book that was a real mess.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Apr. 2026
-
But reliever Jaden Hill cleaned up the mess by getting Gavin Sheets to ground out to second.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Firefighters have been battling more than 150 other wildfires in Georgia and Florida that have sent smoky haze into places far from the flames, triggering air quality warnings for some cities.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Still, his colleagues spent hours searching for him, peering through a haze of radioactive steam and smoke that would eventually kill some of them.—
Lizzie Johnson,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Muddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muddle. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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