muck up

verb

Definition of muck upnext
as in to fumble
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way I swear, she mucks up everything she tries

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 muck up Sure, all this meddling does muck up the pacing somewhat, but who cares? — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 27 Apr. 2026 Teams continue to sag off Hart in the half court to try to muck up New York’s offense. — James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026 Well, the first and third mucked up their stories with some overly contrived lore about cults and gods, and the fourth was an experiment for the formula that didn’t quite work. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026 At least not Will Welch, GQ’s longstanding editor-in-chief and global editorial director, who was absolutely zen about the threat of an atmospheric river mucking up the mag’s Men of the Year celebration last night. — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 14 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for muck up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muck up
  1. fumble
  2. blow
  3. screw up
  4. foul up
  5. ruin
  6. boot
Verb
  • The Cougars were stopped at the UCF 3 on consecutive drives before Overmyer fumbled at the UCF 7 and into the end zone, recovered by the Knights.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
  • On Friday, the Rams waived punt returner Xavier Smith, who fumbled in last season’s NFC championship game and made several decision-making errors against the Broncos.
    — Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of fumble
Verb
  • Miller blew just three saves in the regular season and allowed just 37 total hits.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • In Orange County, Anaheim hit 101 degrees Sunday, blowing past the 98-degree record set in 2020.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of blow
Verb
  • Dallas is going to be better, but the Cowboys always screw up.
    — Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Sep. 2026
  • That doesn’t mean the Yankees screwed up in their process by trading for Stanton.
    — Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of screw up
Verb
  • Then police closed that, too — at midafternoon Tuesday after a report of a suspicious package — fouling up traffic for New Yorkers even more.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
  • In the end, though, neither an explosion nor a giant spill of fluid that could foul up waterways and the ocean occurred.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026
Definition of foul up
Verb
  • On Monday, workers hauled out a 200-pound piece of equipment that was ruined by the saltwater and sand carried in on the high tides.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026
  • So our goal is to learn how to maximize AI budgets, not ration them and ruin productivity gains.
    — Konstantin Klyagin, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of ruin
Verb
  • Denver's Department of Transportation and Infrastructure said the city booted about 300 more vehicles from January through September this year than during the same period last year.
    — Jasmine Arenas, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The first points at the new Ryan Field went to — fittingly enough — the Wildcats when Jackson Kleather booted a 50-yarder between the uprights to cap off Northwestern's maiden drive in their new home.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of boot

Browse Nearby Words

mucks up
muck up
mucky
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Cite this Entry

“Muck up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muck%20up. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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