as in messy
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness
a muddled arrangement of trophies in the display case
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of muddled
Philip Elliott, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
This is an impossible task – partly due to Trump’s own muddled thinking – but most importantly, because Putin does not want peace.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
And yet, introducing new antagonists through a muddled mystery, the core Conjuring mythology nearly cracks beyond repair.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2025
Security, errors, and trust dominate the risk analysis Despite the hype and muddled terminology, the core idea of AI agents—systems designed to autonomously take action to carry out specific tasks—is still generating a lot of justifiable excitement.
—Sage Lazzaro, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2025
The picture is far more muddled, and economists are split over whether Powell will telegraph a likely rate decrease next month or a continuation of the Fed’s wait-and-see approach.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 23 Aug. 2025
If anything, this juxtaposition makes the Moomins perfect guides through our muddled moment, online and off.
—Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
Much of the display seemed muddled and unclear.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
The process has been so muddled that officials for key trade partners were unclear at the start of the week whether the tariffs would begin Thursday or Friday.
—Josh Boak, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2025
J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 3 Sep. 2025
An internal review found that communication by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was muddled and inconsistent.
—Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Yet, given the market's heavy tilt to megacap tech, any leading economic signal from such a turnaround could be muddled.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2025
After Achane, the picture is muddled.
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 11 Aug. 2025
What Dracula has to do with that story is not entirely clear, and Jude’s propos can feel both muddled by the exhaustive material, as well as too obvious in places.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 10 Aug. 2025
His argument is muddled, decrying our reliance on fossil fuels while dismissing efforts to devise alternatives.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Over the course of a few hours in Washington on Tuesday, the increasingly muddled state of public health unfolded.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
This is an impossible task – partly due to Trump’s own muddled thinking – but most importantly, because Putin does not want peace.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
And yet, introducing new antagonists through a muddled mystery, the core Conjuring mythology nearly cracks beyond repair.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2025
Security, errors, and trust dominate the risk analysis Despite the hype and muddled terminology, the core idea of AI agents—systems designed to autonomously take action to carry out specific tasks—is still generating a lot of justifiable excitement.
—Sage Lazzaro, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2025
The picture is far more muddled, and economists are split over whether Powell will telegraph a likely rate decrease next month or a continuation of the Fed’s wait-and-see approach.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 23 Aug. 2025
If anything, this juxtaposition makes the Moomins perfect guides through our muddled moment, online and off.
—Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
Much of the display seemed muddled and unclear.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
The process has been so muddled that officials for key trade partners were unclear at the start of the week whether the tariffs would begin Thursday or Friday.
—Josh Boak, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
The unease is muddled, and the characters seem less vulnerable as a result.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 3 Sep. 2025
An internal review found that communication by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was muddled and inconsistent.
—Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Yet, given the market's heavy tilt to megacap tech, any leading economic signal from such a turnaround could be muddled.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2025
After Achane, the picture is muddled.
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 11 Aug. 2025
What Dracula has to do with that story is not entirely clear, and Jude’s propos can feel both muddled by the exhaustive material, as well as too obvious in places.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 10 Aug. 2025
His argument is muddled, decrying our reliance on fossil fuels while dismissing efforts to devise alternatives.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muddled
Adjective
-
With the success of TV shows like Hacks and The White Lotus, which explore the beautifully complicated, often messy inner lives of women who don’t fit the ingenue mold, perhaps more production companies will take chances on similar shows.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Jars of thick honey can feel messy or impractical for travel.—
Footwear News,
Footwear News,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
At one point, O’Steen was confused by a question, and the resulting back-and-forth was reminiscent of an Abbott and Costello repartee.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Sep. 2025
-
It should not be confused with Article 5, the cornerstone of the alliance, which states an armed attack on one NATO ally will be considered an act of violence against all members and prompt assistance to the member concerned.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Europe accelerated spending on renewables and energy efficiency after Russia's invasion of Ukraine disrupted natural gas supplies.—
Jeff Young,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Foreign business confidence in China has declined since Covid-19 when pandemic restrictions disrupted supply chains — the domestic economy has remained sluggish, dragged down by a real estate slump and overcapacity in industrial sectors.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The Creative Arts Emmys, held on September 6 and 7, had already handed out several exciting awards, including for Bryan Cranston’s guest turn on The Studio and Julianne Nicholson’s chaotic arc on Hacks.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
15 Sep. 2025
-
After several chaotic minutes with no cell phone service, mother and daughter finally reunited next to the plaza.—
Rick Jervis,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Advertisement Advertisement But days after the shooting, authorities have yet to discover a coherent motive for the killing of Kirk—the founder of Turning Point USA and a popular figure on the American right—and experts on extremism are similarly baffled by the possible motivations.—
Richard Hall,
Time,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The result is a set of policies that has baffled some China experts, or at least raised questions about the president’s stance on America’s friendly rival.—
Christian Datoc,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Kraken shuffled their front office, but didn’t change direction.—
Jonas Siegel,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The practice schedule has also been shuffled, sleep is being emphasized and the team will travel on a larger plane.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
But a patchwork of injunctions that have yet to reach the justices remain in place, creating a jumbled situation that keeps reductions at specific agencies on ice.—
Rebecca Beitsch,
The Hill,
9 July 2025
Verb
-
From Scepticism to Confidence In my discussions, executives often admit being puzzled about how to approach AI.—
London School of Economics,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
The move has puzzled many since ending the program would bar every company, including oil firms, from accessing federal subsidies for capturing carbon or producing hydrogen fuel.—
Natasha Bracken,
semafor.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Muddled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muddled. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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