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.
See Examples For:
In short, the offensive line was a mess.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
The EU’s new, electronic entry-exit system is a mess, except when it isn’t.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Over time, they turn into an anxious mess, needing validation from the black-box algorithmic number.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026
"It was this or nothing. You can't mess around, or you'll burn your eyes."
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
All he did was walk around in my figures and mess things up until I couldn’t tell what the monkeys were worth.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
The beds and food bowls are gone; the floor where they always left messes after devouring the grub I made them is eerily clean.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 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
Yuppies cleaned up other people’s messes, then stayed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026
"I write the scripts, I plan the scenes, and keep redoing things because the AI generation messes up constantly," they wrote.
From BBC ● Mar. 28, 2026
Henry steps toward me and messes my hair a bit.
From "Shouting at the Rain" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
"I was looking at the screen and I saw the guy try and surge. But he ran a PB, so he's messed up with the final ahead."
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
“I messed up,” he wrote, calling the offer reckless.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 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
Because her whole life, she’s been told, ‘You’re wrong, you’ve messed up, you’ve got things wrong.’
From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2026
“I heard you and Fox talking earlier. This world, as messed up as it is right now, is called Alke. We’re in MidPass, an island in the Burning Sea.”
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
And Kane was not messing about against DR Congo.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
Right now, however, he looks like a kid who spent the morning messing around with his friends.
From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2026
But they all have some of them, and it’s messing up their lives and their jobs and their marriages.
From Salon ● Jun. 14, 2026
Just stop messing with your fans and give them ample notice on games Clark will miss.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026
Butterflies never knew anyone from the time period they were messing with.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
