as in messy
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness
a muddled arrangement of trophies in the display case
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in confused
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
a car shopper thoroughly muddled by too much well-meaning advice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disrupted
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
some mischievous brat had muddled the household accounts
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of muddled
Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 13 Apr. 2026
Bose Soundbar Deal The Bose TV Soundbar is the ultimate cure for muddled cinematic dialogue.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 13 Apr. 2026
Despite its muddled storylines, the tone, wit and characters give viewers several glimpses into Levy and Sennott’s quirky world.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 9 Apr. 2026
The cocktail list includes The Crag OF, a smooth take on an Old Fashioned, and the Irish Exit, a drink inspired by the Irish Maid, with elderflower, fresh lemon and muddled cucumber.
—Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2026
Dinner is preceded by a fireside drinks hour, which gives guests a chance to connect with each other and share highlights from the day’s game drives while sipping cocktails made with muddled herbs (grown on-site, of course).
—Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026
The war with Iran is grinding on with muddled goals, more service members heading overseas, rising energy prices, and growing Republican fears of ground troops.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 25 Mar. 2026
In the end, March Madness became a muddled mess as Florida’s push to repeat as national champions unraveled in a devastating loss to Iowa.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
Coming off the muddled, troubling end to the regular season, with two of their best wins, and their two worst losses within the last handful of games, the UConn men needed a play to start the healing process.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2026
Stuart James, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2026
Cross-functional collaboration that isn’t muddled in hierarchy speeds up innovation.
—Claire Zillman, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026
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
But the strategy has been muddled and confused many players.
—Jason Schreier, Bloomberg, 4 Mar. 2026
The motivation behind their murder spree and AI fuckery is muddled at best.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
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
Adjective
This switch-up to the formula makes new episodes of The Comeback compelling to watch, even as the season’s big-picture storytelling remains a bit muddled.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 13 Apr. 2026
Bose Soundbar Deal The Bose TV Soundbar is the ultimate cure for muddled cinematic dialogue.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 13 Apr. 2026
Despite its muddled storylines, the tone, wit and characters give viewers several glimpses into Levy and Sennott’s quirky world.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 9 Apr. 2026
The cocktail list includes The Crag OF, a smooth take on an Old Fashioned, and the Irish Exit, a drink inspired by the Irish Maid, with elderflower, fresh lemon and muddled cucumber.
—Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2026
Dinner is preceded by a fireside drinks hour, which gives guests a chance to connect with each other and share highlights from the day’s game drives while sipping cocktails made with muddled herbs (grown on-site, of course).
—Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026
The war with Iran is grinding on with muddled goals, more service members heading overseas, rising energy prices, and growing Republican fears of ground troops.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 25 Mar. 2026
In the end, March Madness became a muddled mess as Florida’s push to repeat as national champions unraveled in a devastating loss to Iowa.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
Coming off the muddled, troubling end to the regular season, with two of their best wins, and their two worst losses within the last handful of games, the UConn men needed a play to start the healing process.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2026
Verb
Player recruitment was muddled, managerial appointments flawed (Remi Garde lasted 147 days in that relegation season) and the team underperformed.
—Stuart James, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2026
Cross-functional collaboration that isn’t muddled in hierarchy speeds up innovation.
—Claire Zillman, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026
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
But the strategy has been muddled and confused many players.
—Jason Schreier, Bloomberg, 4 Mar. 2026
The motivation behind their murder spree and AI fuckery is muddled at best.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muddled
Adjective
-
Such implications could have a chilling effect on the reporting of such crimes by partners and spouses locked into messy and tumultuous relationships.—
Sal Rodriguez,
Oc Register,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Despite going through a messy divorce, the former couple remain good friends.—
Natalia Senanayake,
PEOPLE,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The south London BBQers were confused.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Microphones are a tool for speaking out loud, or singing, before a crowd, and Lee uses the object as a symbol of her own desire to speak and be understood, even when she is confused by competing cultures and unsure of her own voice.—
Ray Mark Rinaldi,
Denver Post,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
His arrival disrupted Diawara’s rhythm but gave Brown a gritty, experienced defender for small-ball combinations.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
An uneven jobs landscape and disrupted energy markets due to the war in the Middle East has made the Federal Reserve more sensitive to inflation in recent months, resulting in a pause on rate cuts.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Set in 1953 after the titular dictator’s passing, the film revels in the chaotic, messy, bumbling power struggle that ensues among figures like Nikita Khrushchev (Steve Buscemi) and Georgy Malenkov (Jeffrey Tambor).—
Debby Wolfinsohn,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The venue was the sprawling Serena Hotel, an oasis within what is already a bubble provided by Islamabad, a leafy city of broad boulevards that feels detached from the rest of Pakistan, an often chaotic country of 240 million people.—
Saeed Shah,
Time,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Government officials, who had already introduced measures to ease the burden of price rises a few weeks ago, were baffled over the rationale behind the protests because the global price spike is due to the Middle East conflict that restricted oil exports.—
Brian Melley,
Fortune,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Government officials, who had already introduced measures to ease the burden of price increases two weeks ago, have been baffled over the rationale behind the protests because the global price spike is due to the conflict in the Mideast that has restricted oil exports.—
Brian Melley,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
For weeks, Isaiah Mosley shuffled into the morning chaos of the Miami criminal courthouse.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Born from the embers of the eighties band Talulah Gosh, Heavenly, led by the singer and guitarist Amelia Fletcher, shuffled forward with her riffy, effervescent playing style, gradually growing more sophisticated across four LPs and an EP, without any loss of buoyancy.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The musical, which examines in jumbled chronology the five-year relationship between novelist Jamie and actress Cathy, debuted in Chicago in 2001 and opened off Broadway the following year.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Initially intriguing, the jumbled chronology eventually proves to be largely decorative until a disappointing late-reel twist explains why the labored device was deployed in the first place.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
There are, however, many lacunae in Paul’s writing and life that have puzzled readers.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
But how Bhuva's name came to be listed on reimbursements for at least 2,800 patients across 126 California hospices in 2024 is a question that has puzzled advocates who have tracked the unusual explosion of hospice providers in Southern California in recent years.—
Grace Manthey,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Muddled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muddled. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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