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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“It was a mess because he did have about 150 people call in the first couple of days,” he said.
From Slate ● 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
"It was this or nothing. You can't mess around, or you'll burn your eyes."
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
“They shouldn’t even think about rebuilding until they’ve cleaned up the mess they’ve created,” Bass told reporters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2026
They were an awful mess, tangled and piled on each other and fighting over the vomit.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
“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
WSJ | Buy Side: Pick up small messes without lugging out the big vacuum—see our top handheld-vacuum picks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
Melanie never took a break from her work, Alex said, adding: "It's not normal is it? You know it messes with people's heads quite a bit."
From BBC ● May 13, 2026
Ortiz’s show premiering at the Joy Who Lived Festival revels in the unhinged and urges people to judge each other for past messes with the opportunity to redeem oneself through comedy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 1, 2026
Ghosts of Might Be run riot in the woods, and stationery shops and messes of stars.
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
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've never really messed with any of them until recently," he says.
From BBC ● May 21, 2026
Tyson admitted he wasn’t familiar with Von, but thankfully stated he did indeed like him, because that would have really messed up the rest of the episode!
From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2026
Because it sounded super hard to figure all that out, and what if I messed up?
From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff
“They’re sitting in the chair for hours and hours, so we’re making sure that our choreography isn’t messing with something that takes so long to create,” she explained.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 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
Elsewhere, the recent single American Girls gained a long, trippy intro, with Styles messing around on an old analogue keyboard, tweaking low pass filters and playing squiggly synth noises.
From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026
“We can’t have them messing up the lobby,” said a third.
From "Ralph S. Mouse" by Beverly Cleary
