1
as in jumble
a state in which everything is out of order
things at the newly built school were all in a muddle on opening day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in daze
a state of mental confusion
I was in such a muddle after the accident that I didn't know where I was
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in confusion
a state of mental uncertainty
the new, supposedly improved forms simply put taxpayers in a bigger muddle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in variety
an unorganized collection or mixture of various things
a muddle of old magazines piled on the shelves
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to confuse
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
a car shopper thoroughly muddled by too much well-meaning advice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to disrupt
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
some mischievous brat had muddled the household accounts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of muddle
Ars Technica, 29 Feb. 2024
This strategic muddle is the focus of discussion in regional capitals, as well as in Moscow and Beijing.
—Brett McGurk, Foreign Affairs, 22 Jan. 2020
Emily Rose, USA TODAY, 2 Mar. 2025
Certainly, McKinney is trying to provoke; she may also be muddled.
—Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for muddle
Noun
Microsoft is stepping in to try to straighten up this muddle of conceptually similar, executionally different technologies with a new API called DirectSR (the SR is for Super Resolution).
—Ars Technica, 29 Feb. 2024
This strategic muddle is the focus of discussion in regional capitals, as well as in Moscow and Beijing.
—Brett McGurk, Foreign Affairs, 22 Jan. 2020
Verb
The issue has been further muddled by Trump's proposal to remove the Palestinian population from Gaza and redevelop the coastal enclave as a property project under U.S. ownership.
—Emily Rose, USA TODAY, 2 Mar. 2025
Certainly, McKinney is trying to provoke; she may also be muddled.
—Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for muddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muddle
Noun
-
Instead, voters themselves are jumbles of competing and sometimes contradictory interests.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
14 Feb. 2025
-
Baker also leads the orchestra, which sounds grand — although the sound in the arts center’s Pugh Theater often left musicians, lead singers and chorus all at the same level, with actors speaking over all of it at the same time to create a sonic jumble.—
Matthew J. Palm,
Orlando Sentinel,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
In other words, bills still need to be paid no matter the confusion of politicians eager to distort the pricing mechanism that organizes the market economy.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
-
The infected person may experience anxiety, confusion, agitation and hallucinations, per the health agency.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
There’s no need to winnow down the dinner menu to showstoppers only, so throw that anxiety out the window and load up the table with a variety of our best Easter recipes.—
Zoe Denenberg,
Bon Appétit,
23 Mar. 2025
-
The elegant curtains are crafted from a 100% polyester fabric that comes in a variety of shades and is machine washable.—
Megan Schaltegger,
Better Homes & Gardens,
23 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
But don't confuse him with Chris Evans' Human Torch who first cropped up in the 2005 Fantastic Four film and made a memorable cameo in Deadpool and Wolverine last year.—
Eliana Dockterman,
Time,
26 Mar. 2025
-
Lesson 2: Don't confuse the end user with the paying customer.—
Mark Francis,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
DDoS Threats Cybercriminals threaten Distributed Denial of Service attacks to disrupt personal websites unless payment is made.—
Alex Vakulov,
Forbes.com,
29 Mar. 2025
-
Yes, but: A much more straightforward way to disrupt the vaccine market would be to simply cancel government contracts with manufacturers.—
Caitlin Owens,
Axios,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Those were poor seasons which took in the decline of Marcelo Bielsa, Jesse Marsch’s tenure and the mess that followed with Javi Gracia and Sam Allardyce.—
Beren Cross,
The Athletic,
21 Mar. 2025
-
In the first four episodes, Newsom seems incapable of interrogating any right-wing position—whether on tariffs, book bans, trans women in sports, wokeness, or the mess at the border.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
The New Yorker,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Documented by astronaut Eugene Cernan on Apollo 17, this refers to an illuminated haze during lunar sunset.—
Sara Hashemi,
Smithsonian Magazine,
3 Mar. 2025
-
Passengers could be seen covering their mouths and noses to protect themselves from the haze.—
Mirna Alsharif,
NBC News,
24 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
National Weather Service has warned that visibility has dropped to 1/4 mile or less amid the fog.—
Hannah Parry,
Newsweek,
20 Mar. 2025
-
But after spending most of the day under low stratus clouds, patchy fog and coastal drizzle caused by onshore flow, New Yorkers will likely need an umbrella for the evening hours, as a cold front coming from the west is expected to dump up to three-quarters of an inch of rain.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
20 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Muddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muddle. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share