1
as in havoc
a state in which everything is out of order
the bachelor party had left the house in a total mess
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in meal
food eaten or prepared for eating at one time
a mess of oatmeal
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3
4
as in loads
a considerable amount
an unexpected Super Bowl loss that unleashed a whole mess of finger-pointing and second-guessing
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to interfere
to interest oneself in what is not one's concern
please don't mess with me while I'm trying to concentrate
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mess
Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
Turtles also need constant water filtration to control messes and odor.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
George Ramsay, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025
The last two seasons have proven that the team starts off slow, which ends up messing their chances of making the playoffs.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mess
Noun
The college football calendar is a mess.
—Verb
The internet already messed her up pretty good.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for mess
Noun
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Christian Barmore created a little more havoc against the run and pass than usual, but his only pressure was contained to the second quarter.—
-
Dewan shared Fillion's sense of the havoc Monica is likely to cause in season 8.—
Noun
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Federal subsidies for meals have become a flashpoint in the fight between Democrats and Republicans who have been unable to agree on a new bill to fund the government, leading to a federal government shutdown now in its 40th day.—
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Want a meal that tastes like a million bucks?—
Noun
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Watching the carousel go round and round and standing patiently as other people pull their luggage from the lineup with no evidence of your bag in sight is pure torture.—
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The long-vacant office tower that hugs the highway is a familiar sight for the steady stream of vehicles traveling daily on the Interstate 84 viaduct, having gained notoriety two years ago after being painted with graffiti and tagged.—
Noun
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As more loads were seized through the summer and fall of 2024, Wedding began to rely increasingly on one of Toronto’s most colorful criminal defense attorneys, Deepak Paradkar, for information, according to the indictment.—
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In some of the tunnels that cut through the mountains, there were only a couple of inches to spare on either side of the loads.—
Verb
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Campos and her colleagues stress that their role is strictly observational — never to interfere.—
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In May 2025, an individual was arrested at the Phelps Street home on drug possession, criminal trespass and interfering charges, according to the warrant affidavit.—
Noun
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They were doomed to perish in the fires of hell.—
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Shown with a gun in hand and looking disheveled, Creasy seems like he’s been through hell and back.—
Noun
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Keeping popular brews — such as Neon Kittens, a citrus IPA, or its Haus Bier German pilsner — on tap is important, along with revising the draft menu with the seasons.—
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The small Santa Clara diner offers a straightforward menu of burgers and burritos, paired with an abundance of patriotic decorations and walls covered in photographs of smiling customers.—
Noun
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Knott’s has unveiled its annual Seasons of Fun calendar that includes events dedicated to Peanuts characters, Boysenberry treats, summertime barbecues, Halloween frights and Christmas cheer.—
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Though Heitor is claimed to be no more harmful than a puppy, there are some moments of fright for Griff who is a little uneasy acting opposite him and at one point panics and tosses him overboard, resulting in Heitor’s gruesome demise.—
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Hot Mess
Our research turned up two archaic literal meanings
Cite this Entry
“Mess.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mess. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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