1
as in jumble
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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2
as in daze
a state of mental confusion
I was in such a muddle after the accident that I didn't know where I was
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3
as in confusion
a state of mental uncertainty
the new, supposedly improved forms simply put taxpayers in a bigger muddle
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4
as in variety
an unorganized collection or mixture of various things
a muddle of old magazines piled on the shelves
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1
as in to confuse
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 to disrupt
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
some mischievous brat had muddled the household accounts
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of muddle
Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2024
Or perhaps the current muddle will continue, to the further detriment of British soft power and global influence, already dwindling after the country’s departure from the European Union.
—Simon J. Potter, Foreign Affairs, 31 July 2023
Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 18 Oct. 2024
This shift not only alienated a core group of designers and marketers, many of whom left en masse, but also muddled Nike's ability to speak authentically to specific athletic communities, diluting its competitive edge in innovation and niche marketing.
—Amy Francombe, WIRED, 24 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for muddle 
Noun
Johnny Depp To Receive Lifetime Achievement Award & Screen ‘Modi’ At Rome Film Festival
Watch on Deadline
Just to be clear, Modi is not the terrible muddle of self-aggrandizement that was widely expected — not all of it, anyway.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2024
Or perhaps the current muddle will continue, to the further detriment of British soft power and global influence, already dwindling after the country’s departure from the European Union.
—Simon J. Potter, Foreign Affairs, 31 July 2023
Verb
But such possibilities are muddled in the myriad of choices on display.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 18 Oct. 2024
This shift not only alienated a core group of designers and marketers, many of whom left en masse, but also muddled Nike's ability to speak authentically to specific athletic communities, diluting its competitive edge in innovation and niche marketing.
—Amy Francombe, WIRED, 24 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for muddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muddle
Noun
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Owners’ names now read like jumbles of computer code, retirement homes or rock bands: Silver Sage, Dream Homes, Blue Apple, P Fin VII, Wref II, 3xs2, Vivid, Straight Red Lines, TKJK, Jags Proper.Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 24 June 2024
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Think of it instead as a Rube Goldberg machine, reimagining doodles as dense jumbles of steps and if-then rules.The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2024
Noun
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For their colleagues, the result is confusion, mistrust and frustration.Jonathan Gill, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
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According to interviews from The Classic TV History Blog, the actual event took place in Texas and used a truck instead of a helicopter despite some confusion about the origins among the show's personnel.Chris Sims, The Courier-Journal, 19 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Studies have shown the cannabis plant can help with a variety of medical ailments, including anxiety.Tribune Content Agency, The Mercury News, 14 Nov. 2024
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The rapper has been involved with a variety of political causes, largely Democratic ones, per the newspaper.Victoria Bekiempis, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2024
Verb
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The team wants Alex Mill to be more of a household name brand without getting too big to manage properly, or so expansive as to confuse the customer with many fashion messages.David Moin, WWD, 18 Nov. 2024
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San Francisco sued Oakland for infringing its airport’s trademarks in April, arguing the Oakland airport’s similar new name would confuse travelers.Reuters, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Focus on unlikely but possible events that could massively disrupt the market.Jodie Cook, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
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Plans to position it as an awards-season contender were disrupted when Italy snubbed Oscar-winner Sorrentino and chose Maura Delpero’s Venice Silver Lion winner Vermiglio as its entry for best international feature.Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Lioness is a mess of political signifiers without a coherent political worldview.Andy Andersen, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2024
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The trick is to work out how the complicated mess of standards, confusing acronyms, and sci-fi-sounding features translate to better Wi-Fi in your home.Simon Hill, WIRED, 2 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Uranus has methane, too—more, in fact—but the strength of its blue is diluted by haze in its upper atmosphere.Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Nov. 2024
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The scene feels more like fantasy than reality, perhaps a daydream or hallucination conjured from one of Lois’s alcoholic hazes.Jen Chaney, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Plot: Marge accidentally kills Flanders during one of his fog walks.Joshua Kurp, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024
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Unlike the multi-sensor setups of Waymo and Cruise, Tesla’s reliance on cameras alone presents challenges, particularly in low-visibility conditions like fog, snow, or harsh sunlight.Michael Khouw, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near muddle
Cite this Entry
“Muddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muddle. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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