muddled 1 of 2

adjective

as in messy
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness a muddled arrangement of trophies in the display case

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muddled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of muddle
1
as in confused
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty a car shopper thoroughly muddled by too much well-meaning advice

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disrupted
to undo the proper order or arrangement of some mischievous brat had muddled the household accounts

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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 muddled
Adjective
But because decomposing food is a source of ammonia, the source of any emissions remains muddled, regulators said. — Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026 In the summer of 1991, a group of conspirators staged a muddled coup to overthrow then-USSR president Mikhail Gorbachev, ultimately accelerating the shift from communism to capitalism. — Jake Angelo, semafor.com, 4 Aug. 2026 The Jays, with the American League picture still so muddled, probably won’t be the only team trying to buy and sell. — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026 The somewhat muddled tale of a wealthy foreigner in Italy, going feral from the pressures of maternity both lost and found, feels longer on rather lofty style than substance for some time. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 30 July 2026 That particular brand of pseudo-advocacy, hiding behind the muddled language of law, has been a PEN America staple for at least a decade now. — Literary Hub, 17 July 2026 Dig deeper, though, and the picture becomes muddled—because how much of that really matters? — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 15 July 2026 Running on a seamless Fire TV operating platform, its Total HDR Solution natively balances complex Dolby Vision, HDR10+ Adaptive, and HLG video feeds to remove muddled shadows (big win). — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 6 July 2026 Slayton agrees, noting that muddled mint or basil make particularly refreshing additions. — Embry Roberts, Martha Stewart, 2 July 2026
Verb
That the film can’t see this is a sign of how muddled its politics are, especially in its treatment of the tension between nature and modernity. — Caspar Salmon, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026 Not everything can be exclusively grand monsteras and glossy ferns; most artworks come muddled with the tat of mirrors and whirligigs, too. — Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2026 This defeat is a significant blow for The Bloodline, whose character direction has become increasingly muddled, leaving fans confused. — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026 Patrick Mahomes’ season-ending knee injury in Week 15 further marred and muddled it. — Vahe Gregorian july 31, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026 Witt is, in my opinion, the best all-around player in baseball, but his value is spread into so many different facets of the game that the case gets muddled. — Andy McCullough, New York Times, 22 July 2026 Because the devices are relatively new, hospitals do not always categorize the exact type of vehicle involved in a crash, and details such as speed are self-reported, meaning the data can be muddled. — Sacbee.com, 22 June 2026 Erika’s brother, Klaus (August Diehl), sits naked by a rumpled bed with last night’s conquest still muddled up with his sheets, talking on the phone to his sister. — Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 14 May 2026 The investigation into Sabich's death was muddled by multiple law enforcement missteps. — Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 14 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muddled
  1. messy
  2. confused
  3. disrupted
  4. chaotic
  5. baffled
  6. shuffled
  7. jumbled
  8. puzzled
Adjective
  • Traditional approaches to studying cause-and-effect relationships are often not possible when investigating populations and ecosystems, which are large, complex and messy.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Too many items or mismatched pieces on open shelves and racks can make a room look disorganized and messy.
    — Jolie Kerr, Washington Post, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of messy
Verb
  • This reserve should not be confused with a permanent investment strategy.
    — Steve Booren, Denver Post, 16 Aug. 2026
  • River otters are not to be confused with sea otters, which live in the ocean, bays and harbors and can grow to be up to five feet and 100 pounds.
    — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of confused
Verb
  • Costs had been on the decline since March 2025, following a massive outbreak of bird flu that disrupted the egg supply and sent retail prices soaring.
    — Claire Malon, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The outage, now in its 11th day, has disrupted access to medical records, prescription histories, and scheduling systems.
    — Andrea Lucia, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of disrupted
Adjective
  • More has been learned about the chaotic moments leading up to Friday's violent disruption at a Midtown synagogue.
    — Allen Devlin, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • In the five years since the chaotic US withdrawal from Kabul and the Taliban’s return to power, Afghanistan has become home to one of the world’s worst human rights and humanitarian emergencies.
    — Kara Fox, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of chaotic
Verb
  • She is baffled by the way her friends Moe and Fumina rail against their parents, especially when Yuko is always holding back at home, forever walking on eggshells.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Al Roker was baffled to come face to face with his doppelgänger on the Today show plaza.
    — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of baffled
Verb
  • The Playoff remains parked at 12 teams, and some G6 conferences shuffled teams, now including North Dakota State and Sacramento State.
    — Jason Kirk, New York Times, 31 July 2026
  • Black voters were shuffled around Houston, with much of the previous 9th Congressional District becoming the new 18th District.
    — Rahul Mukherjee, NPR, 23 July 2026
Definition of shuffled
Adjective
  • Imagine a termite carving a path like a jumbled ball of string through a tree trunk, instead of an axe cleaving a single vector.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 12 Aug. 2026
  • This jumbled, makeshift archive reassured her about her own perceptions.
    — Fern Schumer Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of jumbled
Verb
  • Three bears were taken, and, in keeping with the southern tradition of bear hunting, Roosevelt’s hosts were a bit puzzled by the president’s disappointment.
    — Paul Schullery, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The discovery is the latest example of DNA offering new clues about diseases and deaths that have puzzled researchers for centuries.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of puzzled

Browse Nearby Words

muddle
muddled
muddleheaded
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Cite this Entry

“Muddled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muddled. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of muddled for Spanish Speakers

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