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
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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
Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 20 June 2025
The risk that the muddle in both Washington and Sarajevo will cost jobs in Gorazde has left the town’s mayor, Mr. Imamovic, aghast.
—Andrew Higgins, New York Times, 17 May 2025
Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 12 Oct. 2025
So, Horn’s opportunity for activation seems muddled at best — justified or not.
—Charlotte Observer, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for muddle
Noun
On the menu: Reconciliation bill still sinking with voters; New York mayoral muddle; DNC’s chair agonistes; Crowded field could save Cassidy; Don’t sweat it
Today is West Virginia Day, the holiday celebrating the 35th state’s admission to the union on June 20, 1863.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 20 June 2025
The risk that the muddle in both Washington and Sarajevo will cost jobs in Gorazde has left the town’s mayor, Mr. Imamovic, aghast.
—Andrew Higgins, New York Times, 17 May 2025
Verb
Their five-game NLDS will muddle their pitching somewhat, but the Brewers had the lowest staff ERA in the National League because of the strength of their full staff.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 12 Oct. 2025
So, Horn’s opportunity for activation seems muddled at best — justified or not.
—Charlotte Observer, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for muddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muddle
Noun
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Ray’s most chaotic photograms—jumbles that push out of the frame or look like time bombs ready to explode—find echoes in his films, projected on the back walls, a show in themselves.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
3 Oct. 2025
-
In jumbles of old stones that, to me, are barely legible as the remains of buildings, Cocon López could see the entire timeline of old Aké and how later people interacted with and repurposed what came before.—
Lizzie Wade,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 May 2025
Noun
-
My stay in the Brazilian town began in a giddy daze.—
David Amsden,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
-
And of course, in the midst of my daze, my phone began buzzing incessantly.—
Karine Jean-Pierre,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The abrupt departure stunned the crowd, prompting confusion both in the audience and among his bandmates.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Teddy’s reasoning is a confusion of save-the-world alarmism, garden-variety derangement, unhealed trauma, and single-minded revenge.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Familial pairs choose the experimental merge for a variety of reasons, including a mother with Alzheimer’s linking her mind with her daughter; teenage brothers, one terminally ill; a man and his pregnant fiancée; a father and his addict daughter.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
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Despite these drawbacks, dryland cotton offers notable sustainability advantages, including a smaller carbon footprint compared to other cotton varieties.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Her daughter was confused, and eventually asked Nasser for an explanation as to what had been said.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
-
At her spring show, Marie-Adam Leenaerdt brought back the style, but her shiny spandex stocking version ensures no one confuses the look for child’s play.—
Laia Garcia-Furtado,
Vogue,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But the science shows exercising late at night, just before bed can disrupt sleep.—
Allison Aubrey,
NPR,
3 Nov. 2025
-
China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force and Navy both operate advanced jamming aircraft, such as the J-16D, equipped with pods that can disrupt radar, GPS, and datalinks across wide areas.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
And its cemeteries had grown into an overcrowded mess.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Parchment paper is a great tool for mess-free baking.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The Great Smoky Mountains are synonymous with waterfalls, verdant valleys, and old-growth forests that produce the range’s signature blue-gray haze.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Outside, the aroma of turmeric, cardamom, and garam masala mingles with the sweet haze of incense drifting down the street and masking the underworld accused of hiding just around the corner.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Muddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muddle. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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