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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Later in the first period, Theodore fumbled the puck into the skates of his teammate, Hertl, on their way out of the defensive zone, and Foligno added to Minnesota’s lead.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2025 -
Every moment spent fumbling with gear in those temperatures came at a cost—to fingers, batteries, and hard drives alike.—
Tony Bradley,
Forbes.com,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
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When someone has it, their immune system goes into overdrive, producing more antibodies (or immunoglobulins, hence the name) than necessary that disrupt typical organ function.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2025
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The administration’s moves will also halt a first-of-its-kind study of the causes of thousands of firefighters’ cancer cases and disrupt a program that provides health care to emergency personnel who responded to the World Trade Center terrorist attacks.—
Mark Olalde,
ProPublica,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Woman Makes 'Creepy' Find In Thrift Store By Alice Gibbs Senior Life and Trends Reporter Newsweek Is A Trust Project Member news article 0 A thrift store shopper from Scotland stumbled on something unexpected in her local store when a beautiful glass paperweight caught her eye.—
Arick Wierson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Apr. 2025
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Contractors renovating a historic home in Belgium stumbled upon the entrance to a secret tunnel identified by archaeologists as an escape route from World War I.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Flames were licking the upper branches of tall trees.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
17 Apr. 2025
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While investors are licking their wounds from a plunging stock market, and businesses brace for economic fallout, major investment banks are reaping extraordinary profits, according to Wall Street Journal.—
Jack Kelly,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Verb
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April 17, 2025 The wind gusts could blow around unsecured objects and a few power outages may occur, the National Weather Service advised.—
Ashley Fredde,
Idaho Statesman,
17 Apr. 2025
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Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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To drag their 13-3 record to that depth, the Padres would have to fall apart and trip over themselves numerous other times.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Apr. 2025
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While the elites were busy tripping over themselves to dismiss his campaign, President Trump was busy shining a light on the issues that matter to everyday Americans.—
David Faris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Rob Lowe was recently confused for another celebrity during a Hollywood bus tour.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
FOXNews.com,
18 Apr. 2025
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Hippler said in the new order bringing more attention to it in opening statements and through expert testimony would add more time to the already lengthy trial and probably confuse the jury.—
Jean Casarez,
CNN Money,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Read Next World Palace gardens hid 900-year-old ruins of bathhouse in Spain — until now.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
14 Apr. 2025
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The titles of 12 such books — some of which may have been published before 2025 — are hidden below within an unrelated text passage.—
J. D. Biersdorfer,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 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 28 Apr. 2025.
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