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in a mess

ADJECTIVE
haywire
Synonyms
STRONG
berserk nuts psycho screwball
WEAK
amiss amok batty bonkers chaotic confused cracked crazed defective disordered disorganized erratic flipped in pieces insane mad messy orderless out of order out of whack out to lunch screwy touched unbalanced unglued unhinged wacky
ADJECTIVE
over a barrel
Synonyms
WEAK
in a jam in a pickle in an awkward position without choices

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.

Reading Mr. Huang’s screed, one concludes that the government is trapped in a mess of its own making.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 22, 2025

“Either shadow banks will be obliged to accept greater regulation, or sooner or later, one or more of them will get caught in a mess that roils the markets,” Ellis told Barron’s in an email.

From Barron's • Dec. 5, 2025

He said along with problems surrounding DFDS' ferry services, the Blue Islands collapse had left travel options for Jersey in a mess.

From BBC • Nov. 15, 2025

At times throughout the summer, the team seemed to be in a mess, but they never fell out of first place, and everyone figured it out.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 20, 2024

He lay on a sleeping bag, partly covered, his eyes closed, his head in a mess where he had been sick.

From "Z for Zachariah" by Robert C. O’Brien