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
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And Volodymyr Zelenskyy also fumbled the bag pretty hard.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
2 Mar. 2025 -
Arriving in England in 1929, Queenie fumbled around on the edges of the entertainment business, hoping to be an actor.—
Carolyn Kellogg,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Early on, Democratic Representative Al Green was escorted out of the House chamber after disrupting Trump’s speech by shouting and shaking his cane in the air.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
WWD,
5 Mar. 2025
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According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), individuals may not block access to sidewalks or buildings, disrupt counterprotests, or engage in speech that is obscene, makes knowingly false statements of fact, or incites immediate violence or dangerous disturbances.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Everything will then be sold – unless he’s stumbled across a famous ball.—
Don Riddell,
CNN,
10 Mar. 2025
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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
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Aretha started singing some deep gospel licks that — especially when heard up close — were powerful and dramatic.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
5 Mar. 2025
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The video was followed by a black-and-white photo of Hobbs licking the Moana star's face and a clip of him playfully biting his hand.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
People.com,
25 Feb. 2025
Verb
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By dumping more toxic substances into the landfills, there’s a higher chance of chemicals leaking into groundwater or becoming part of airborne dust blowing into nearby communities.—
Tony Briscoe,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2025
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Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacramento Bee,
12 Mar. 2025
Verb
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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
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Photographer Kevin Winter caught Jennifer Lawrence hiding her face in embarrassment after tripping on her dress while walking up the steps to accept her best actress trophy for Silver Linings Playbook.—
Scott Feinberg,
The Hollywood Reporter,
2 Mar. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
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Risen delivers a marvellous account of the Hiss case, with its many plot twists, involving accusations about a fake typewriter, microfilm hidden in a pumpkin, and the intricacies of ornithology.—
Beverly Gage,
The New Yorker,
10 Mar. 2025
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Of course anyone familiar with Cave, whose directorial debut Fresh established her as a filmmaker to watch, will know that Fred, the town’s ophthalmologist, is certainly hiding a secret.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
The Hollywood Reporter,
10 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Mess (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mess%20%28up%29. Accessed 18 Mar. 2025.
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