mess
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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Ikitau then flew over for his second after the Boks made a mess of a high ball kicked through, but the lead lasted just three minutes.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
The clunky lurch forward into fantasy is characteristic of the movie, which like many a teenager revels in creating a mess it can’t or won’t clean up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
And, after digging through layers of internet ugliness, I found the last thing I expected: a reason to believe we might just make it out of our current mess.
From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026
Social Security does not mess around when it comes to overpayments.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
“Because I was a mess, Theo,” I explain slowly.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
Others allowed deferrals, creating messes for people who have moved recently.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
Meta settles teen safety suit, the U.S.-Canada trade war escalates, and Scott Bessent messes around in the markets again.
From Slate ● Aug. 29, 2026
“For example, after cleaning a window, I’ll let the paper towel dry and save it under the sink. Later, I use it to clean up muddy messes or pet accidents.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
Built in part from five years of therapy notes, the album finds Smith revisiting moments of struggle, recovery and, as he puts it, "all the sort of messes in between".
From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026
If it’s fine, I’m going to pitch my tent in Longmeadow, and row up the whole crew to lunch and croquet—have a fire, make messes, gypsy fashion, and all sorts of larks.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
They tried to put us off but they messed with the wrong ones.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
But I didn’t know some of them, and I messed up a few times.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026
It’s going to be easier for people who messed up on their taxes to get back in the good graces of the IRS.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026
Your evaluation of the movie will depend almost entirely on whether you find her enchantingly messed up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
“Because you know what’s really messed up? That you didn’t already know I wouldn’t do that to you. You should’ve known better.”
From "A Good Kind of Trouble" by Lisa Moore Ramée
“I definitely wouldn’t recommend messing with one if you don’t know what you’re messing with,” Crowell said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
His folk-singer brother first awakened his interest in politics while being "asked to leave" grammar school for "messing about" deepened his dislike of authority.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
“We’ve got to be messing up the exchange rate or something, right?” the Virginia theater fan recalls.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
An anchovy shortage is messing with the whole fish economy.
From Slate ● Jul. 4, 2026
The crew immediately yelled several colorful phrases as they tried to prevent the PVC from messing up the newly poured concrete.
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
