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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Relevance
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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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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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2
as in disrupts
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
some mischievous brat had muddled the household accounts
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of muddles
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
Verb
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).
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for muddles
Noun
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The result also spotlights conference championships’ awkward fit in the current system, particularly given the fact that conference expansion has led to jumbles atop each league’s standings.—
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Ray’s most chaotic photograms—jumbles that push out of the frame or look like time bombs ready to explode—find echoes in his films, projected on the back walls, a show in themselves.—
Noun
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Before the Lost Weekend, John and Yoko had their New York Year — turning their personal confusions into beautifully vivid moments of rage and pain.—
Noun
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The farm in the mountains south of Fayetteville grows nine different varieties of lettuce, including red and green varieties of Bibb, Oakleaf and Sweet Crisp lettuces, romaine, arugula, kale, bok choy, microgreens, as well as herbs like basil, thyme and oregano.—
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Of the recent vintages made with the five varieties, his favorite is 2020.—
Verb
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Red Rising is a book that seems to confuses some politically right-leaning readers, something which frustrates but doesn’t surprise Abughazaleh.—
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Mars’ clash with Neptune clouds your judgment and confuses your intuition.—
Verb
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The condition disrupts the production of CoQ10, a molecule essential for generating energy inside cells, leading to rapid neurological decline and loss of mobility.—
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In other words, alcohol disrupts hydration, irritates the gut, inflames blood vessels, messes with sleep, and forces your liver into metabolic overdrive.—
Noun
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And much of the international order is an attempt to avert messes, even by letting odious and illegitimate governments stay in power, because messes can be odious too.—
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Treat any pet messes on the wood floors as soon as possible to prevent liquid from seeping through the wood.—
Noun
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Barresi and Cuellar hold each other up with palpable tenderness, each one crafting a long, poignant arc from innocence through the fogs and thorns of experience.—
Noun
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However, increased sourcing diversification across different regions can pose a risk to quality and consistency across denim assortments.—
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For consumers, the near-term impact will likely mean tighter assortments on the shelf, fewer niche flavors and package variations, but more emphasis on crowd-pleasing core products.—
Cite this Entry
“Muddles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muddles. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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