1
as in to fumble
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
messed up the drawing and had to start over
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to disrupt
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
a nap had messed up her hair and she looked a sight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to stumble
to make a mistake
if anyone messes up even once while we're recording, we have to start all over again
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to lick
to strike repeatedly
threatened that he would mess him up if he cheated at the game
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mess (up)
Verb
-
Stash everything in your carry-on instead of fumbling at the checkpoint.—
Boutayna Chokrane,
WIRED,
18 Mar. 2025 -
In hindsight the idea seems clear, but in the moment, there was a lot of fumbling around.—
Jayson Stewart,
IEEE Spectrum,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Doctors, hospitals and other providers don't want to disrupt their practices' workflow and payment logistics with cost discussions and paperwork, especially after services have been provided.—
Michelle Andrews,
NPR,
17 Mar. 2025
-
As the World Economic Forum reports, 44% of workers' skills will be disrupted in the next four years, with cognitive skills growing in importance most rapidly.—
Caroline Castrillon,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Everything will then be sold – unless he’s stumbled across a famous ball.—
Don Riddell,
CNN,
10 Mar. 2025
-
The main character, a married artist in her mid-forties, sets out from her Los Angeles home, stumbles into a psychosexual dynamic with a young rental-car attendee, and decides to remodel a motel room into a love nest.—
Jennifer Wilson,
The New Yorker,
10 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Being licked by the cows and licking them back is a daily occurrence for her.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
Newsweek,
13 Mar. 2025
-
Evy was holding an ice cream cone and lowered it so Kinley could lick it.—
Jordan Greene,
People.com,
11 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Limit hot tool use: Take a break from hot curling irons, straighteners, and blow dryers.—
Carley Millhone,
Health,
12 Mar. 2025
-
Keep windows and doors closed to avoid pollen being blown into your home.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
12 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Sure, trips to the salon for cut, color, treatment and styling provide some form of hair and scalp care, but only on a cosmetic level.—
Bianca Salonga,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
-
Denver then countered a White-to-Kornet lob and a White 3-pointer on back-to-back Boston trips with consecutive threes from Braun and Murray, who was far more effective over the final three quarters.—
Zack Cox,
Hartford Courant,
2 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Boat-Friendly Boca Grande To live in Boca Grande (not to be confused with Boca Raton, the resort on Florida’s east coast) is to be on the water.—
Mary Forgione,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
-
When some confused the artist organization’s acronym, RCAF, with the Royal Canadian Air Force, the name was humorously changed to the Royal Chicano Air Force.—
Joe Rubin,
Sacramento Bee,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
While Timothy's family didn't think twice about his odd behavior — Victoria laughed and rolled her eyes, Saxon laughed, Lochlan cringed, and Piper hid her face in embarrassment — Isaacs spent a long time thinking about what has led his character to this rock bottom moment.—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
EW.com,
10 Mar. 2025
-
In an interview with The Times of London Sunday, the Lord of the Rings actor urged famous LGBTQ people hiding their identity to come out of the closet.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
10 Mar. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Articles Related to mess (up)
Cite this Entry
“Mess (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mess%20%28up%29. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share