muddle

1 of 2

verb

mud·​dle ˈmə-dᵊl How to pronounce muddle (audio)
muddled; muddling ˈməd-liŋ How to pronounce muddle (audio)
ˈmə-dᵊl-iŋ

transitive verb

1
: to make turbid or muddy
muddled the brook with his splashings
2
: to befog or stupefy (see stupefy sense 1) especially with liquor
The drink muddled him and his voice became loud and domineering.
3
: to mix confusedly
muddles the household accounts
4
: to make a mess of : bungle
muddled themselves into the most indefensible positionsA. N. Whitehead

intransitive verb

: to think or act in a confused aimless way
She muddled along for a year before going to college.
muddler
ˈməd-lər How to pronounce muddle (audio)
ˈmə-dᵊl-ər
noun

muddle

2 of 2

noun

1
: a state of especially mental confusion
2
: a confused mess
muddly
ˈməd-lē How to pronounce muddle (audio)
ˈmə-dᵊl-ē
adjective

Examples of muddle in a Sentence

Verb a car shopper thoroughly muddled by too much well-meaning advice some mischievous brat had muddled the household accounts Noun His papers were in a muddle. His mind was a muddle.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Verb
Ferrari’s unhealthy reputation for muddling their decisions looked to have been eradicated last year in Fred Vasseur’s first season as team principal, but the issue has reared its head again over the opening two races of 2025. Dan Cancian, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025 There was something stark and piercing in me that was much closer to clarity than to muddle, but calling it a muddle took less effort. Yiyun Li, The New Yorker, 23 Mar. 2025
Noun
Those searching for catharsis or an applicable remedy to their own heartaches and existential muddles will find only one definitive answer—that no person can ever fully know her own mind. Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2025 Paris’ increasingly one-sided support of Haftar will only add to the thick muddle of foreign interference in the Libyan conflict. Jalel Harchaoui, Foreign Affairs, 21 Sep. 2017 See All Example Sentences for muddle

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

probably from obsolete Dutch moddelen, from Middle Dutch, from modde mud; akin to Middle Low German mudde

First Known Use

Verb

1676, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1808, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of muddle was in 1676

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Muddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/muddle. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

muddle

1 of 2 verb
mud·​dle ˈməd-ᵊl How to pronounce muddle (audio)
muddled; muddling ˈməd-liŋ How to pronounce muddle (audio)
-ᵊl-iŋ
1
: to be or cause to be confused or bewildered : stupefy
muddled by too much advice
2
: to mix up in a confused way
muddle the household accounts
3
: to think or act in a confused way : bungle
muddle through a task
muddler
-lər How to pronounce muddle (audio)
-ᵊl-ər
noun

muddle

2 of 2 noun
1
: a state of confusion or bewilderment
2
: a confused mess : jumble

More from Merriam-Webster on muddle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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