muddles 1 of 2

noun

plural of muddle
1
as in jumbles
a state in which everything is out of order things at the newly built school were all in a muddle on opening day

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2
as in confusions
a state of mental uncertainty the new, supposedly improved forms simply put taxpayers in a bigger muddle

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3
as in varieties
an unorganized collection or mixture of various things a muddle of old magazines piled on the shelves

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muddles

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of muddle
1
as in confuses
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 disrupts
to undo the proper order or arrangement of some mischievous brat had muddled the household accounts

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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 muddles
Verb
The Archipelago muddles on for fifty years until the Lough’s beset by an ecological crisis. — Literary Hub, 30 July 2026 Mixing too many competing scents in the same area also muddles the experience, and strong essential oils like peppermint or cinnamon can quickly overload a space. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 10 June 2026 But the Royals and Guardians play each other this week, which muddles up the math a little bit (especially if Kansas City wins the series and hops the Guardians for second place). — Christian Romo, Freep.com, 10 Sep. 2025 Relying on such sources is misleading and muddles the comparison with Chicago, which has better public transit than Philadelphia. — Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2025 OpenAI muddles the message on if the government should guarantee chip financing. — John Kell, Fortune, 29 July 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muddles
  1. jumbles
  2. confusions
  3. varieties
  4. confuses
  5. disrupts
  6. messes
  7. fogs
  8. assortments
Noun
  • Arches and natural bridges sweep like buttresses from jumbles of rock, giving this landscape a mystical, cathedral-like quality.
    — Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Macaroons are chewy jumbles of coconut bound together with egg whites and sweetened condensed milk.
    — Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of jumbles
Noun
  • Before the Lost Weekend, John and Yoko had their New York Year — turning their personal confusions into beautifully vivid moments of rage and pain.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025
Definition of confusions
Noun
  • For branching varieties, the stem should be cut back to the nearest bud or branch.
    — The Spruce, The Spruce, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Shuenemeyer regularly chats with other arborists from Maine to Washington, looking to identify and catalog historic varieties of apples.
    — Kevin Strong, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of varieties
Verb
  • Any adversary who confuses media noise with American weakness will discover the truth the hard way.
    — Michael Loria, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
  • These opportunists drown out the core mission, creating a cacophony of competing voices that confuses donors, crowd the inboxes of CEOs and members of Congress with colliding petitions, and paralyzes meaningful action by draining critical funding and attention away from the truly effective groups.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 28 June 2026
Definition of confuses
Verb
  • The capability could prove useful during missions where electronic warfare disrupts conventional navigation systems.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Sleep and health researchers say moving clocks twice a year disrupts the body's circadian rhythm, which regulates sleep and other biological functions.
    — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of disrupts
Noun
  • Steam cleaning works best for fresh spills and light messes, making cleanup easier.
    — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Typically, PAs are putting in 60-hour workweeks, and their duties can include everything from running errands to cleaning up messes to managing the general public when filming takes place in a location and impedes foot or car traffic.
    — Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of messes
Noun
  • And fogs are closer to us than clouds.
    — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 31 May 2026
  • Over-the-counter pesticides and fogs will not do the job.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Mar. 2026
Definition of fogs
Noun
  • Colored denim has become an important complement to core denim assortments, and brands and consumers are gravitating toward effortless soft and sun-washed tones.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 29 July 2026
  • Instead of standardized catalogs and static strategies, companies can optimize assortments locally, adjust pricing dynamically and align offerings with real-time demand.
    — Anan Bishara, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of assortments

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Cite this Entry

“Muddles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muddles. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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