as in messy
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness
a muddled arrangement of trophies in the display case
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in confused
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
a car shopper thoroughly muddled by too much well-meaning advice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disrupted
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
some mischievous brat had muddled the household accounts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of muddled
Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 25 Nov. 2025
But his box office track record is a bit mixed and muddled.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Nov. 2025
The Breaking Bad timeline became muddled due to mistakes on Walt and Skyler’s divorce papers, as well as a few other details.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 17 Nov. 2025
His replacement, Nuno Espirito Santo, is another pragmatist, but West Ham’s performances had been so muddled as to eradicate hope, the nadir being a 2-0 home defeat by Brentford in which the hosts, despite the cost of their squad, already resembled a Championship team.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
At the same time, the storyline now comes across as even more muddled and confusing.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 6 Nov. 2025
But in 2022, Maserati reminded us that there’s another Italian car company, with a rich 108-year history and a respected name, but one that has been tarnished by missteps and muddled strategies in recent years.
—Lawrence Ulrich, Robb Report, 29 Oct. 2025
The six-episode season, which was provided to critics in its entirety, is a disjointed and muddled attempt to turn Rice’s centuries-old secret society into a vehicle for a half-hearted spy thriller.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 26 Oct. 2025
Ryan argues that Cooper’s decision to operate the camera himself (with Matthew Libatique serving as DP) leads to some directorial self-indulgence that makes for a frustrating, muddled experience that could’ve used more editorial discipline.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 17 Oct. 2025
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 5 Jan. 2026
The situation might be a bit more muddled by the US wanting to resume nuclear testing.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 23 Dec. 2025
Still, economists say the report could be more than a little muddled this time around.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 15 Dec. 2025
Suddenly, the whole point of Olympia and Matty’s mission is muddled.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
Bernstein’s Mark Moerdler echoed the sentiment that Oracle’s last quarter was overall a decent one, but was muddled by complex controversies.
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2025
As a result of financial and personal problems, Bíró's invention ended up muddled in a number of international patents and licensing agreements in different companies and individuals in various countries.
—New Atlas, 29 Oct. 2025
Together the flavor is muddled, slightly discordant, but alone the Irish whiskey gets to sing, its apples and pears and slight malt and gentle touch a perfect foil to the zesty front palate of the lemon and the deep finish of the almonds.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 25 Oct. 2025
But the two ballot initiatives, which were somehow muddled with other issues like homelessness, failed that same November, when a majority of voters rejected them.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
But the thinking behind the category itself remains muddled, and the rollout hasn’t helped.
—Verb
However impressively efficient the American strike may have been, the president’s motives have been muddled.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for muddled
Adjective
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Adding a dust ruffle around the base of your bed can make this spot even better for keeping messy items hidden.—
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Art Supplies Art supplies will get messy fast if those tubes and bottles leak or burst.—
Verb
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The Farmers’ Almanac will be gone for good after its final 2026 edition, not to be confused with The Old Farmer's Almanac, a separate publication.—
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Blue Origin also launches New Shepard from Texas The New Glenn spacecraft is not to be confused with Blue Origin's much smaller New Shepard rocket that the company launches from West Texas on brief trips taking paying passengers high above Earth's atmosphere.—
Verb
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The Lakers disrupted alley-oop attempts to Castle and Luke Kornet in the opening minutes.—
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During a three-game losing streak that began with a loss to Arkansas State, Arkansas has been turnover prone and seen its dribble-drive offense disrupted.—
Adjective
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Paul’s chaotic yet candid nature quickly uplifted her to reality TV icon status, so much so that ABC named her their next star of The Bachelorette.—
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Dispatch recordings from firefighters who were first on the scene at Miami Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra’s home early Thursday reveal a chaotic and fast-moving fire that left crews scrambling to find water and to contain the spreading flames.—
Verb
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At a vigil for the two on Sunday night, friends and family were baffled by the killing, the Allentown Morning Call reported.—
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Scientists are also baffled by how the planet could have formed at all.—
Verb
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Empty boxes were stacked along a side wall in the locker room as players shuffled in and out to pack up a season’s worth of shirts and jerseys and cleats and memorabilia.—
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First, the sophomore shuffled back into coverage after showing A-gap pressure to intercept a Bryce Underwood pass over the middle of the field, ending a key fourth-quarter drive.—
Adjective
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Tidy Food Storage Containers The same can be said for the food storage containers that can easily become a jumbled mess in the cabinet.—
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What should be a gripping thriller centered on new, uncharted technology and questionable loyalties degenerates into a jumbled mess.—
Verb
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Although puzzled, Aisha answered honestly.—
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Like his wife, Moore was puzzled when their friend didn’t show up to eat dinner.—
Cite this Entry
“Muddled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muddled. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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