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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of muddled
The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 26 May 2026
The end result on those possessions is a muddled mess, which leads to bad shots or live ball turnovers, which lead to easy points going the other way.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 13 May 2026
Known for its peppery, licorice-like notes, muddled tarragon lends an extra layer of botanical flavor to the famous French cocktail of gin, lemon juice, sweetener, and dry champagne or sparkling wine.
—Jenavieve Christensen, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 May 2026
There remain other, muddled storylines across this LIV timeline that won’t get untangled.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2026
Warsh believes markets have driven those rates up in response to muddled policy from the Fed, including the recent spike in inflation after Covid — but going much further back, too.
—Matt Peterson, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2026
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
Matt Gelb, New York Times, 21 May 2026
Erika’s brother, Klaus (August Diehl), sits naked by a rumpled bed with last night’s conquest still muddled up with his sheets, talking on the phone to his sister.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 14 May 2026
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
That reasoning is muddled, but according to Kneecap, they weren’t supposed to find out about this letter.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 6 May 2026
Especially among activists and academics, this explosion of identities has muddled Crenshaw’s neat system of greater and lesser disadvantage.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
But somewhere along the way the message of gratitude and goodwill got muddled.
—Eric Thomas, Sun Sentinel, 19 Apr. 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
Adjective
Having stabilised as mid-table regulars, this was an opportunity to capitalise on a muddled middle of the table.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 26 May 2026
The end result on those possessions is a muddled mess, which leads to bad shots or live ball turnovers, which lead to easy points going the other way.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 13 May 2026
Known for its peppery, licorice-like notes, muddled tarragon lends an extra layer of botanical flavor to the famous French cocktail of gin, lemon juice, sweetener, and dry champagne or sparkling wine.
—Jenavieve Christensen, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 May 2026
There remain other, muddled storylines across this LIV timeline that won’t get untangled.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2026
Warsh believes markets have driven those rates up in response to muddled policy from the Fed, including the recent spike in inflation after Covid — but going much further back, too.
—Matt Peterson, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2026
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
Verb
Nola’s situation is just as muddled.
—Matt Gelb, New York Times, 21 May 2026
Erika’s brother, Klaus (August Diehl), sits naked by a rumpled bed with last night’s conquest still muddled up with his sheets, talking on the phone to his sister.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 14 May 2026
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
That reasoning is muddled, but according to Kneecap, they weren’t supposed to find out about this letter.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 6 May 2026
Especially among activists and academics, this explosion of identities has muddled Crenshaw’s neat system of greater and lesser disadvantage.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
But somewhere along the way the message of gratitude and goodwill got muddled.
—Eric Thomas, Sun Sentinel, 19 Apr. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muddled
Adjective
-
The counters were regularly wiped clean because of messy diaper changes and after meals.—
Jenny Hughes,
Parents,
28 May 2026
-
Not to be confused with the front-engined V-12 series of 250s (Ferrari nomenclature can get messy), the 1963 Ferrari 250 LM was a mid-engined Prancing Horse made to enable Maranello to homologate its new GT racing car in the early 1960s.—
Will Sabel Courtney,
Robb Report,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Using a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer, for example, the spectral biosignatures of carbon dioxide and methane may overlap, leading to the gasses being confused with each other and signs of life being dismissed or lost.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
1 June 2026
-
Brown women artists are often confused with anthropologists.—
Cressida Leyshon,
New Yorker,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Fragmented sleep, irregular sleep timing, and disrupted circadian rhythms can all negatively affect your health.—
Brian Mastroianni,
Health,
2 June 2026
-
Spurs deserve credit for acting swiftly and learning their lessons from last summer when the uncertainty over the future of then head coach Ange Postecoglou disrupted their plans and contributed to them missing out on key targets.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
This efficient metro connects the whole city, without having to brave the chaotic, crowded streets.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
Witnesses described a chaotic scene as gunfire erupted near the beach.—
Eric Mack,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Cannonball Concretions Perfectly round rock formations in the North Unit baffled scientists for years.—
Julia Sayers Gokhale,
Midwest Living,
1 June 2026
-
While some were baffled by the posts amid Bear’s claims, others pointed out the ability to schedule posts, depending on the type of account.—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
While many of the brand’s lifestyle models are frequently shuffled in and out of production, the 9060 has held on as a staple of the brand’s lineup nearly four years after its retail debut.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
28 May 2026
-
He then was shuffled between immigration centers in California, Arizona and Louisiana — before landing in Equatorial Guinea almost six months ago.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
His fluid camera, observational without being intrusive, expertly delineates the safe space of Layla’s courtyard, shifting registers as things get darker until near the end, when jumbled night reinforces the tense uncertainty.—
Jay Weissberg,
Variety,
17 May 2026
-
Chaotic terrain is characterized by fractured, jumbled blocks of rock thought to have formed when underground ice melted and caused the surface above to collapse.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Two experts said they were puzzled by the release records.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
30 May 2026
-
Tim Ream is looking at you, puzzled.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Muddled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muddled. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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