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
  • Because all that most people remember is Musk fumbling through lines while dressed as Wario.
    Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2024
  • Buccaneers recover Rohan Nadkarni Travis Kelce fumbles after a short reception, and the Buccaneers recover!
    Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 5 Nov. 2024
Definition of fumble
Verb
  • In this gentle novel, an elderly widow finds her solitary routine disrupted by a mouse, setting off a sequence of events that reconnects with the larger world.
    Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 21 Nov. 2024
  • Focus on unlikely but possible events that could massively disrupt the market.
    Jodie Cook, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
Definition of disrupt
Verb
  • Surveyors reportedly stumbled upon the endangered bees during an environmental review of the area, forcing regulators to suspend the project.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
  • In the fall of 2022, a Princeton University graduate student named Carolina Figueiredo stumbled onto a massive coincidence.
    Charlie Wood, WIRED, 3 Nov. 2024
Definition of stumble
Verb
  • Most other social mammals groom by licking, but primates are unique among tetrapod vertebrates in our reliance on hands and feet for tasks many other taxa use their faces for, says Borths.
    Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 21 Nov. 2024
  • Zia was licking herself and developing hotspots from itchiness.
    Jen McCaffery, Discover Magazine, 14 Nov. 2024
Definition of lick
Verb
  • Without breaking stride, Hunter blew past four more Utah defenders and hopped into the end zone, a broken play transformed into a work of art.
    Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 16 Nov. 2024
  • Oldenburg’s ode to Mies van der Rohe’s signature pocket square, the 12-foot fiberglass Handkerchief, will blow toward Park Avenue, and inside, a giant cloth saw will hug the walls and floor.
    Morgan Meier, Curbed, 12 Nov. 2024
Definition of blow
Verb
  • Of the almost 600,000 electric scooter trips the city logged between May and September, Lime accounted for about 89% and Spin, its competitor, made up the remaining.
    Maia Pandey, Journal Sentinel, 4 Nov. 2024
  • Consider light-colored clothing or reflective tape for costumes, and adjust costume length to avoid tripping.
    Katie Wiseman, The Indianapolis Star, 31 Oct. 2024
Definition of trip
Verb
  • The team wants Alex Mill to be more of a household name brand without getting too big to manage properly, or so expansive as to confuse the customer with many fashion messages.
    David Moin, WWD, 18 Nov. 2024
  • San Francisco sued Oakland for infringing its airport’s trademarks in April, arguing the Oakland airport’s similar new name would confuse travelers.
    Reuters, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
Definition of confuse
Verb
  • The Super Bowl contender hiding in plain sight Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper signed a 13-year, $330 million contract in early 2019 in what was a record deal at the time.
    David K. Li, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
  • But Bill Belichick has nothing in particular to offer when journalists ask about coaches hiding the effects of the disease.
    Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 12 Nov. 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 30 Nov. 2024.

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

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

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

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

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

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
Commonly Confused Words Quiz Vol. 3 Do you have a (flare/flair) for choosing the righ...