| Roget’s II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition. 1995. |
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muddle |
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| NOUN: | 1. A ruinous state of disorder: botch, foul-up, mess, shambles. Informal : hash. Slang : screwup, snafu. See CORRECT, ORDER. 2. A stunned or bewildered condition: befuddlement, bewilderedness, bewilderment, daze, discombobulation, fog, mystification, perplexity, puzzlement, stupefaction, stupor, trance. See AWARENESS. 3. A lack of order or regular arrangement: chaos, clutter, confusedness, confusion, derangement, disarrangement, disarray, disorder, disorderedness, disorderliness, disorganization, jumble, mess, mix-up, muss, scramble, topsy-turviness, tumble. Slang : snafu. See ORDER. | | VERB: | 1. To harm irreparably through inept handling; make a mess: ball up, blunder, boggle, botch, bungle, foul up, fumble, gum up, mess up, mishandle, mismanage, muff, spoil. Informal : bollix up, muck up. Slang : blow1, goof up, louse up, screw up, snafu. Idioms: make a muck of. See CORRECT, HELP. 2. To cause to be unclear in mind or intent: addle, befuddle, bewilder, confound, confuse, discombobulate, dizzy, fuddle, jumble, mix up, mystify, perplex, puzzle. Informal : throw. Idioms: make one's head reel (or swim) (or whirl) . See CLEAR, FEELINGS. 3. To put into total disorder: ball up, confuse, disorder, jumble, mess up, scramble, snarl2. Slang : snafu. Idioms: play havoc with. See ORDER. 4. To put out of proper order: derange, disarrange, disarray, disorder, disorganize, disrupt, disturb, jumble, mess up, mix up, tumble, unsettle, upset. See ORDER. 5. To proceed or perform in an unsteady, faltering manner: blunder, bumble1, bungle, flounder, fudge, fumble, limp, shuffle, stagger, stumble. See THRIVE. | | PHRASAL VERB: | muddle through To progress or perform adequately, especially in difficult circumstances: do, fare, fend, get along, get by, manage, shift. Informal : make out. Idioms: make do, make shift. See THRIVE.
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| Roget’s II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition. Copyright © 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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