messes (up)

verb

present tense third-person singular of mess (up)
1
as in fumbles
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way messed up the drawing and had to start over

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disrupts
to undo the proper order or arrangement of a nap had messed up her hair and she looked a sight

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stumbles
to make a mistake if anyone messes up even once while we're recording, we have to start all over again

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4
as in licks
to strike repeatedly threatened that he would mess him up if he cheated at the game

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for messes (up)
  1. fumbles
  2. disrupts
  3. stumbles
  4. licks
  5. blows
  6. confuses
  7. trips
  8. pounds
Verb
  • Warriors fumbles the ball away at their 47-yard line on kick return.
    — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Sims catches a hitch and turns up field but fumbles the ball while switching hands.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of fumbles
Verb
  • Change disrupts the status quo, and employees often resist change activities to preserve stability.
    — John Radman, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • In Egypt, for example, steep hikes in fuel and food prices and enormous losses of Suez Canal revenues as the war disrupts global shipping are compounding existing fiscal and unemployment crises.
    — MARC LYNCH, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of disrupts
Verb
  • Shortly after, a young man stumbles towards Pat from the direction of the pub, rubbing his eyes in disbelief.
    — Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Mitchell’s own imitation of Spielbergian life, despite its meticulous re-creation (and gleeful destruction) of eighties suburbia, stumbles into an uncanny valley between sincerity and cynicism, between unintentional comedy and deliberate homage.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of stumbles
Verb
  • Later, a woman protractedly licks blue ice cream from a cone, her attempts thwarted by ferocious gusts of wind and sand.
    — Matilda Hague, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Food stands also debuted that year, with ribs sizzling along with the blues licks.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 9 June 2026
Definition of licks
Verb
  • But first, the premiere settles the audience into a tried and true cop drama with power struggles over jurisdiction, a local militia led by a man with his own agenda, and a suspect who literally blows the case wide open.
    — Sabrina Reed, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The next chance of showers and storms arrives Thursday and lingers through the end of the workweek as much muggier-feeling weather blows back into Maryland.
    — Cutter Martin, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of blows
Verb
  • Retreat to the previous paragraph if the question confuses you.
    — John Tamny, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Any adversary who confuses media noise with American weakness will discover the truth the hard way.
    — Michael Loria, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of confuses
Verb
  • Standard rooms already feel generous by Vegas standards, and suites step up to apartment-like layouts, with separate living areas that make longer stays or work trips more comfortable.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Aug. 2026
  • An agent holding valid credentials, performing thousands of plausible-looking actions across four days, trips neither alarm.
    — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of trips
Verb
  • The first murder is a girl slicing into her slumbering mother’s neck with a hacksaw; then her brother pounds his father’s face in with a baseball bat.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Back from a hamstring injury, Teoscar Hernández rejoins a relentless Dodgers offense that pounds 17 hits and three homers in a 9-4 win over the Athletics.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
Definition of pounds
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.

Browse Nearby Words

messes over
messes (up)
messes (with)
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Cite this Entry

“Messes (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messes%20%28up%29. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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