mess up
phrasal verb
messed up; messing up; messes up
informal
: to make a mistake : to do something incorrectly
About halfway into the recipe, I realized that I had messed up, and I had to start over.
—often + onShe's afraid she'll mess up on the test.
I messed up on my first attempt.
Examples of mess up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Meanwhile, an 11-state Fisheries Mitigation Project is still trying to figure out how to establish a process by which the wind developers will compensate fishermen for messing up their industry.
—
Christopher Helman, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
This Saturday, the Preakness celebrates its 150th anniversary, thanks to a three-year hiatus beginning in 1890 messing up the math.
—Dana O'Neil, New York Times, 16 May 2025
The only way to mess up when applying this blush is to start off with too much.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 15 May 2025
Researchers found that most were eligible, but had missed a reporting deadline or messed up their paperwork.
—Arthur L. Kellermann, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for mess up
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.
Christopher Helman, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
This Saturday, the Preakness celebrates its 150th anniversary, thanks to a three-year hiatus beginning in 1890 messing up the math.
—Dana O'Neil, New York Times, 16 May 2025
The only way to mess up when applying this blush is to start off with too much.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 15 May 2025
Researchers found that most were eligible, but had missed a reporting deadline or messed up their paperwork.
—Arthur L. Kellermann, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for mess up
Cite this Entry
“Mess up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mess%20up. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share