as in mess
a state in which everything is out of order
careful planning had eliminated most of the muss that usually accompanies a move to a new house
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to disrupt
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
the wind mussed up my hair
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of muss
Bahar Anooshahr, The Arizona Republic, 18 Jan. 2023
James, Sami, Jesse, Cassidy, and Karla (all from the super alliance of seven) sat out without much muss or fuss.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 10 Nov. 2022
Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2025
The 19-inch lanyard can be slipped on and off your neck without mussing your hair as well.
—Izzy Baskette, People.com, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for muss
Noun
As promised, the restaurant is a no-fuss, no-muss operation.
—Bahar Anooshahr, The Arizona Republic, 18 Jan. 2023
James, Sami, Jesse, Cassidy, and Karla (all from the super alliance of seven) sat out without much muss or fuss.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 10 Nov. 2022
Verb
Last Week Tonight has always been more thorough in its account of the week’s major issues than the nightly network shows, though at least Seth Meyers, Stephen Colbert, and Jimmy Kimmel all sounded the Klaxon about Donald Trump while their colleague Jimmy Fallon mussed his hair.
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2025
The 19-inch lanyard can be slipped on and off your neck without mussing your hair as well.
—Izzy Baskette, People.com, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for muss
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muss
Noun
-
Becerra blunder The first ad that grabbed my attention was a quick-turn by San José Mayor and gubernatorial candidate Matt Mahan (still stuck in single-digit polling numbers), who jumped on Xavier Becerra’s first major mess-up.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
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That way, the bristles can cling to your skincare products instead of dripping into the brush’s base and making a mess.—
Katie Decker-Jacoby,
StyleCaster,
14 May 2026
Verb
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What’s next for I-77 South Carter-Adamson and Ivory were disappointed to hear that I-77 will once again disrupt lives around Charlotte.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 May 2026
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Canvas outage disrupted students during finals The timing made the outage especially frustrating.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
Noun
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Maybe someday, someone will make a musical about a movie based on a musical that goes to hell when all of the top-level producers and creatives go to war against each other.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
12 May 2026
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The characters then cross the nine concentric circles of hell, beginning with Limbo and then various circles where the souls of those who commit different sins end up.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
11 May 2026
Verb
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The Manta Sleep Mask has adjustable eye cups that create a true blackout, so cabin lights and neighboring seatback screens don’t disturb her rest.—
Karthika Gupta,
Travel + Leisure,
10 May 2026
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Not to mention, harvesting garlic bulbs can disturb the soil quite a bit and interfere with the growth of sage plant roots.—
Lauren Landers,
The Spruce,
10 May 2026
Noun
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Used his size and good wheels to create havoc in the offensive zone, took on all comers and pitched in offensively with double-digit goals.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
9 May 2026
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Now, using currently available AI models, the barriers of entry to wreaking cyber havoc have been lowered.—
Hugh Son,Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Women in America’s boardrooms made strides as corporations shuffled their mostly White and male lineups in the face of the historic pushback in 2020.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
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Tall soldiers in bearskin caps shuffled a few inches to the left, or right, to give the parade its proper visual proportions.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
Noun
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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
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Macaroons are chewy jumbles of coconut bound together with egg whites and sweetened condensed milk.—
Lynda Balslev,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The red, purple or sometimes gold root vegetable — not to be confused with its white cousin, the sugar beet — is low-calorie and packed with nutrients and compounds linked to benefits, ranging from brain health to athletic performance.—
Teresa Mull,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
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Companion plants with strong odors are used to confuse pests or mask the scent of crops so insect pests cannot find them.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Muss.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muss. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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