mess-up

[ mes-uhp ]

noun

1. a blunder; state of confusion; mix-up.

Word History and Origins

Origin of mess-up¹

First recorded in 1900–05; noun use of verb phrase mess up

Example Sentences

They respected each other because Bruno was in the military and became a criminal and George messed up in his youth and then he became a cop.

From Salon

“If you mess up a couple times, now your mind is away from the play,” he said of opponents, adding, “Now they’re focused on, ‘how am I going to get this guy back.’

From Los Angeles Times

She said she was not apologising because the SNP or Scottish government had "messed up", but because the £3bn project had faced significant challenges beyond their control, including from Brexit and the Covid pandemic.

From BBC

That much was made clear in a recent Q&A event, where Musk complained, "If masculinity is so toxic, how come the kids that are messed up don't have dads?"

From Salon

A singer has apologised after swearing on live TV and "messing up" a performance of the US national anthem.

From BBC