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
Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
This muddle stems from a deeper conceptual problem.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 24 Feb. 2026
That has muddled the overall picture.
—Roger Naylor, AZCentral.com, 21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for muddle
Noun
Trump is trying to turn that muddle into a single demand for cheaper, thirstier trucks.
—Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
This muddle stems from a deeper conceptual problem.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Verb
In a time muddled by noise and packed schedules, many people are looking for a quiet spot to reset.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 24 Feb. 2026
That has muddled the overall picture.
—Roger Naylor, AZCentral.com, 21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for muddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muddle
Noun
-
Macaroons are chewy jumbles of coconut bound together with egg whites and sweetened condensed milk.—
Lynda Balslev,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
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The result also spotlights conference championships’ awkward fit in the current system, particularly given the fact that conference expansion has led to jumbles atop each league’s standings.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
7 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
And there’s still almost an hour of film left to go, in which everyone, including the audience, is in a sort of hallucinatory, post traumatic daze — but even the relative comfort of that won’t last long.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Now the state, if not region, is in a daze.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
18 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Down comforters are a cozy addition to your bedding but can cause a bit of confusion in how to launder and care for them.—
Emily Benda Gaylord,
The Spruce,
15 Mar. 2026
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In lockdown and confusion and fear following an attack at nearby Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, the staff at Soul Café made pizza — cheese, mushroom and margherita.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
For much of the season, Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball star Darryn Peterson has dealt with a variety of health issues.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
14 Mar. 2026
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Lingerie brands like Skims, Thirdlove, and Aerie make them in a variety of styles—triangle, scoopneck, longline, T-shirt—with features like adjustable straps, removable cups that add shape to small busts, and wide under-bust bands that support larger boobs.—
Malia Griggs,
Glamour,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That has to be confusing to the hitter.—
Eno Sarris,
New York Times,
13 Mar. 2026
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Two years later, promoters marketed confusing credits such as the Employee Retention Credit to businesses that did not qualify, collecting fees to file improper claims.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This illumination can temporarily blind the animals, leaving them more vulnerable while disrupting their natural habits.—
Stephanie Vermillion,
Outside,
16 Mar. 2026
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At that point, the parasite disrupts brain regions that regulate circadian rhythm, causing patients to become sleepy during the day and awake at night.—
Fran Kritz,
NPR,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But amid the mess of UCLA’s 72-59 win over 14th-seeded Rutgers was a slippery star point guard in the middle of one of his masterworks, not only lifting the Bruins to victory but passing and rebounding and defending his way into the Big Ten tournament record books.—
Ryan Kartje,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
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However, that kind of financially freewheeling behavior has placed the Dolphins in their present cap hell, dwelling in an accounting mess the franchise will spend the next season pinching pennies for, forced to navigate their way out of.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Dusting windshields, coating sidewalks and veiling Atlanta’s spring sunshine in a golden haze.—
Nancy Badertscher,
AJC.com,
12 Mar. 2026
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Topics included how climate change and air pollution have greatly increased haze in the area, native Cherokee interpretations of the land, and how logging has impacted the park’s streams and fish populations, among other topics.—
Madison Dapcevich,
Outside,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Muddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muddle. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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