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
Relevance
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
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 14 May 2026
The investigation into Sabich's death was muddled by multiple law enforcement missteps.
—Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 14 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
The movie manages to be rigorously muddled despite not being all that complicated.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 14 May 2026
The investigation into Sabich's death was muddled by multiple law enforcement missteps.
—Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 14 May 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
-
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
-
Those around me were in a daze.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Experts said the announcement is sparking confusion and uncertainty among many, including potentially thousands in Chicago.—
Victor Jacobo,
CBS News,
24 May 2026
-
The confusion isn’t limited to consumers.—
Lauren Mascarenhas,
CNN Money,
24 May 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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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Understanding these unexpected auroras could improve forecasts of dangerous space weather, which can disrupt satellites, GPS systems, communications and even power grids during extreme solar storms.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
26 May 2026
-
The fears that artificial intelligence will disrupt its business are alive and well, as Bank of America's sell call on the stock last week shows.—
Kevin Stankiewicz,Zev Fima,
CNBC,
25 May 2026
Noun
-
Perhaps you got stuck in the mess last week when rush hour traffic was snarled by a tractor-trailer that got stuck on the concrete barrier at the intersection of Stanwix Street and Fort Pitt Boulevard.—
John Shumway,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
-
If dishes have been scraped properly before loading, the cycle can usually handle the mess without issue.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
The haze of memory and how photography could serve as a fertile medium in which to explore that theme would become central to Hasbun’s practice in the decades to come.—
Maximilíano Durón,
ARTnews.com,
22 May 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Muddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muddle. Accessed 29 May. 2026.
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