as in to fumble
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
I swear, she mucks up everything she tries
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of muck up
Democrats will continue to try and muck up Trump legally and stop him from getting on the ballot.
—
Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 25 Jan. 2024
Duke Be less chaotic The Blue Devils are masters at mucking up a game, whether that’s by pressing, forcing turnovers or drawing (and committing) fouls.
—Sabreena Merchant, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
Sadly, a corpse discovered in the waters just beyond the house mucks up the divine press coverage Greer had been arranging with—huh!—People magazine.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 10 Dec. 2024
By comparing the gene trees to the species trees, the researchers estimated rates of horizontal gene transfer, gene loss and other evolutionary processes that could muck up the picture.
—Jonathan Lambert, Quanta Magazine, 20 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for muck up
Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 25 Jan. 2024
Duke Be less chaotic The Blue Devils are masters at mucking up a game, whether that’s by pressing, forcing turnovers or drawing (and committing) fouls.
—Sabreena Merchant, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
Sadly, a corpse discovered in the waters just beyond the house mucks up the divine press coverage Greer had been arranging with—huh!—People magazine.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 10 Dec. 2024
By comparing the gene trees to the species trees, the researchers estimated rates of horizontal gene transfer, gene loss and other evolutionary processes that could muck up the picture.
—Jonathan Lambert, Quanta Magazine, 20 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for muck up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muck up
Verb
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Stash everything in your carry-on instead of fumbling at the checkpoint.—
Boutayna Chokrane,
WIRED,
18 Mar. 2025
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The new electrically released adhesive makes removing the battery easier because it can be done with a jolt of electricity rather than fumbling with sticky strips, which can snap before the battery is released.—
Janhoi McGregor,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Limit hot tool use: Take a break from hot curling irons, straighteners, and blow dryers.—
Carley Millhone,
Health,
12 Mar. 2025
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Keep windows and doors closed to avoid pollen being blown into your home.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
12 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Poor performance is 95% the result of work processes breaking down, not employees screwing up.—
Letters to the Editor,
Orlando Sentinel,
25 Feb. 2025
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The stalking may just have been a way to bide time and screw up the courage for a dinner invite, but after their meal, Burt’s Outie might not be wholly innocent or trustworthy.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
22 Feb. 2025
Verb
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This brings back the Bilas comment from long ago on fouling up two.—
Joe Rexrode,
The Athletic,
24 Feb. 2025
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In between those foul shots, the Jayhawks intentionally fouled up three.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
29 Jan. 2025
Verb
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During the 2020 election campaign, Trump said the AFFH rule would ruin the suburbs by forcing more affordable housing.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN,
11 Mar. 2025
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Alli Jo adds that the kids left school to appear on the date with Grant and the ladies, so Zoe ruined their day, too.—
Kristen Baldwin,
EW.com,
11 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The morning after that happened, Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) — who left the Freedom Caucus last year after the group booted Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) — started circulating at 9 a.m. a resolution to censure Green, getting support from nearly 30 co-sponsors, including a number of fellow Texans.—
Emily Brooks,
The Hill,
8 Mar. 2025
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Gaza Wang was unequivocal when asked about Trump's plan to boot Palestinians from Gaza and turn the territory over to the U.S. to develop.—
John Ruwitch,
NPR,
7 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Muck up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muck%20up. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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