mess (up)

verb

Definition of mess (up)next
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

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mess (up)
  1. fumble
  2. disrupt
  3. stumble
  4. lick
  5. blow
  6. trip
  7. confuse
  8. hide
Verb
  • Taylor started Indy’s unraveling by fumbling away a would-be 41-yard touchdown early in the third quarter that would’ve given Indianapolis a 20-7 lead.
    Nick Kosmider, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
  • That’s what Matt Stafford did after fumbling through the start of the game.
    Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 12 Dec. 2024
Definition of fumble
Verb
  • The eruption of Mount Tambora is a stark reminder of nature’s power to disrupt and inspire, even as climate change throws a shadow over our world today.
    Scott Travers, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024
  • Altered water levels and temperatures can also disrupt ecosystems, harming native species while benefiting invasive ones like zebra mussels.
    David Faris, Newsweek, 28 Dec. 2024
Definition of disrupt
Verb
  • And—as the disorder’s apt name suggests—many of these peculiar symptoms match much of what Alice experienced after stumbling her way into Wonderland.
    Mark Travers, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024
  • The Tar Heels stumbled to a 6-6 finish, closing the season with back-to-back losses to Boston College and NC State.
    David Faris, Newsweek, 28 Dec. 2024
Definition of stumble
Verb
  • And resist the urge to lick your lips when they’re chapped, Davis says.
    Jamie Ducharme, TIME, 17 Dec. 2024
  • Another sculpture show London licking a disembodied human hand.
    Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 17 Dec. 2024
Definition of lick
Verb
  • Gardner-Johnson’s play redeemed his ejection after two unsportsmanlike penalties last week when the Eagles blew a two-score lead to the Washington Commanders.
    Brooks Kubena, The Athletic, 29 Dec. 2024
  • Milk, the drink of choice for an adult about to just absolutely blow someone’s back out.
    Allison P. Davis, Vulture, 27 Dec. 2024
Definition of blow
Verb
  • Best Time to Visit To experience the best weather, Kensington Tours destination expert Jasmine Padda recommends that travelers book trips between either mid-September to mid-November or from March to April.
    Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 21 Dec. 2024
  • Strong starts don’t guarantee continued success One need not look far in recent history to trip on the remains of companies whose share price never reached their IPO heights.
    Ilona Limonta-Volkova, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
Definition of trip
Verb
  • Biden mixes up French president with deceased predecessor Things got messier in February when Biden confused current French President Emmanuel Macron with former French President François Mitterrand — who died in 1996.
    Haisten Willis, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 25 Dec. 2024
  • But fans were confused as to why the flag was thrown.
    Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 25 Dec. 2024
Definition of confuse
Verb
  • Yang then bemoaned how people shoot lasers at him and hide their kids.
    Anne McCarthy, Variety, 22 Dec. 2024
  • While his mask has changed and grown smaller over the years, Peck has kept his face hidden from the public view.
    Joyce Orlando, USA TODAY, 21 Dec. 2024
Definition of hide
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near mess (up)

mess over

mess (up)

mess (with)

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Mess (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mess%20%28up%29. Accessed 2 Jan. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

Using Bullet Points ( • )

'Gray' vs. 'Grey': What is the difference?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
naughty or nice
Are you naughty or nice? Quiz He's making a quiz, and checking it twice...