mess up

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.

When she asks me to place a hand on my heart again, I do, repeating, “I am here. I did not mess up my kid forever. My timing is impeccable.”

From Slate • May 10, 2026

Bowens worries that some people will fraudulently overstate deductions and that people who mess up accidentally could get hurt as the IRS tries to enforce the law.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

It was almost out of panic and fear both, if we get this wrong — our first movie was a failure — if we mess up, we’ll never be able to tell a story again.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 25, 2025

"It's symbolic now. It's reminder that you can mess up but you can always move forward," he said.

From BBC • Jun. 29, 2025

If I do, I’ll mess up the bass line and ruin whatever is about to happen—because something is definitely about to happen.

From "Sparrow" by Sarah Moon