MESSING (UP) Synonyms: 243 Similar and Opposite Words

messing (up)

verb

present participle of mess (up)

as in fumbling

to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way messed up the drawing and had to start over

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as in disrupting

to undo the proper order or arrangement of a nap had messed up her hair and she looked a sight

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as in stumbling

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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as in licking

to strike repeatedly threatened that he would mess him up if he cheated at the game

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for messing (up)

Verb

The Packers’ offense left the field, but came back after it was ruled that Watson was down before fumbling.

— Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Here was his senior running back, who scored a 44-yard touchdown in their state championship win months earlier, fumbling on the very first play of the Blue-White scrimmage.

— Kevin Fishbain, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of fumbling

Verb

Almost constant air raids in Kyiv have now reached their third day, choking the economy in the Ukrainian capital and severely disrupting civilian life more than 4½ years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026
In 2023, workers accused the company of disrupting union activities, including implying workers could be dismissed for participating in a union protest and locking emergency exits on the day workers planned to picket outside.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of disrupting

Verb

The teddy bears, the stumbling answers, the whole morning in the Cotillion was a mess.

— Noah Shachtman, Vanity Fair, 25 Aug. 2026
Calhoun, who moved to Kansas City from Ames, Iowa, in 2016, started photography during the pandemic after stumbling across a photography video on YouTube.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of stumbling

Verb

One act featured two young women sitting on the stage and licking orange Popsicles (yes, that was the whole act).

— Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
Owners should also watch for licking that is sudden, persistent or severe enough to cause hair loss or skin damage.

— Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of licking

Verb

Its exterior is rich with symbolism, from stone carvings representing the all-seeing eye of God to a golden statue, atop the highest spire, of an angel blowing a trumpet to herald the Second Coming.

— Brandon Griggs, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
There is a micronation on a fortress at sea off the coast of Great Britain, and the British government once considered blowing it up.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of blowing

Verb

Officials said the bear swiped at the man, scratching his arm, and that the man went on to injure his foot after tripping while trying to escape.

— Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 19 Aug. 2026
How quickly the brain and body react after tripping — with your foot automatically thrusting forward, for example, to prevent yourself from face-planting — is what plyometrics trains for.

— Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of tripping

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.

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messing over

messing (up)

messing (with)

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“Messing (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messing%20%28up%29. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of messing (up)

verb

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