messed 1 of 2

messed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of mess

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for messed
Adjective
  • Nearly two months have passed since a trade finalized the messy breakup between Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat, but the ugly ending to their time together will be a popular topic of conversation for the next few days.
    Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2025
  • And yet, something about Careless People—beyond the court order, the messy PR spectacle, and Wynn-Williams’s formidable storytelling abilities—feels urgent, even necessary right now.
    Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Other labels would have interfered.
    Aaron Gilbreath, SPIN, 31 Dec. 2024
  • Baca’s successors carried on the tradition until the COVID-19 pandemic interfered in 2020.
    Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Carter arrives as a fumbling, awkward, lovable med student—the audience surrogate in the chaotic and intense environment of a fictional Chicago emergency ward.
    David Sims, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Social Security problems The chaotic situation around DOGE has raised concerns that federal programs such as Social Security that many Americans rely on could be impacted.
    Zac Anderson, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Sea lions and dolphins have been observed rigid with seizures, acting dazed and confused.
    Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2025
  • While older teens might appreciate its message about family and independence, younger kids will likely be more confused than entertained.
    Annabelle Canela, Parents, 26 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Glaser — the host of the 2025 Golden Globe awards — also poked fun at Bündchen’s relationship with jiu-jitsu instructor Joaquim Valente during the roast.
    Eric Andersson, People.com, 23 Dec. 2024
  • And nobody had to guess the color of his underwear, as his black and gray Tom Ford briefs poked purposefully out from his pants.
    Bailey Richards, People.com, 22 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Read's lawyers pointed repeatedly to sloppy policing, including leaving the scene unsecured for hours and not searching the house.
    Rachel Treisman, NPR, 28 Mar. 2025
  • The Canucks managed to win despite an off night for Quinn Hughes and some sloppy defensive coverage in the neutral zone throughout the evening, but especially in the first period.
    Thomas Drance, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Chicagoans will have no one to hold accountable at the ballot box when the buses don’t arrive and rail stations are filthy and crime-ridden.
    Forrest Claypool, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2025
  • The plastic waste China received was filthy, much of it too dirty to be cleaned, shredded, and turned into new plastic.
    Scott W. Stern, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Messed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messed. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.

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