muddles 1 of 2

noun

plural of muddle
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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muddles

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of muddle
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disrupts
to undo the proper order or arrangement of some mischievous brat had muddled the household accounts

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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 muddles
Verb
Our driving-city culture necessarily muddles or fuses the definitions of restaurant and bar. — Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026 The Archipelago muddles on for fifty years until the Lough’s beset by an ecological crisis. — Literary Hub, 30 July 2026 Mixing too many competing scents in the same area also muddles the experience, and strong essential oils like peppermint or cinnamon can quickly overload a space. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 10 June 2026 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). — 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muddles
  1. jumbles
  2. confusions
  3. varieties
  4. confuses
  5. disrupts
  6. messes
  7. fogs
  8. assortments
Noun
  • Arches and natural bridges sweep like buttresses from jumbles of rock, giving this landscape a mystical, cathedral-like quality.
    — Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Macaroons are chewy jumbles of coconut bound together with egg whites and sweetened condensed milk.
    — Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of jumbles
Noun
  • Before the Lost Weekend, John and Yoko had their New York Year — turning their personal confusions into beautifully vivid moments of rage and pain.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025
Definition of confusions
Noun
  • The offer includes 30 bread varieties, 8,000 wines and spirits and approximately 120 kinds of cheese — to name but a few of the treats found here.
    — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Around the middle of the century, agronomists also developed high-yield, fast-growing varieties of staple crops like wheat and rice in what is known as the Green Revolution.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of varieties
Verb
  • The legal system dehumanizes her, the support group confuses her, and one of her friends painfully disappoints her.
    — Carey Purcell, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026
  • This confuses each Nyota but also those around them, who note that the Nyotas have rather quickly assumed new hairstyles but also that neither is behaving quite like herself.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of confuses
Verb
  • Introducing conscious thoughts actually disrupts this flow and slows down the process.
    — Jesse Granger, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The rare condition damages the spinal cord’s protective myelin sheath and disrupts nerve signals between the brain and body.
    — Rod McGuirk, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of disrupts
Noun
  • Covers shield upholstery from coffee spills, food stains, pet accidents and everyday messes.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Coffee spills, muddy shoes, pet mishaps, and everyday messes don’t have to turn into decorating disasters.
    — Ethan Stone October 9, Idaho Statesman, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of messes
Noun
  • And fogs are closer to us than clouds.
    — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 31 May 2026
  • Over-the-counter pesticides and fogs will not do the job.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Mar. 2026
Definition of fogs
Noun
  • With buyers ordering earlier and shoppers rewarding early inventory, Halloween assortments are likely to land in stores alongside back-to-school merchandise rather than after it.
    — Ashley Lynch, Charlotte Observer, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Independent retailers typically place smaller orders, have fewer approval layers, and can adjust assortments closer to delivery than large national chains.
    — Jessica Binns, Vogue, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of assortments

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Cite this Entry

“Muddles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muddles. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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