muddle

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To mash or crush ingredients with a spoon or a muddler (a rod with a flattened end). Usually identified with the preparation of mixed drinks, such as when mint leaves and sugar are muddled together for a mint julep.

also muddle through

verb

1. To put out of proper order: derange, disarrange, disarray, disorder, disorganize, disrupt, disturb, jumble, mess up, mix up, tumble, unsettle, upset. See order/disorder.
2. To put into total disorder: ball up, confuse, disorder, jumble, mess up, scramble, snarl². Slang snafu. Idioms: play havoc with. See order/disorder.
3. 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 headreelswimwhirl. See clear/unclear, feelings.
4. 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/incorrect, help/harm/harmless.
5. To proceed or perform in an unsteady, faltering manner: blunder, bumble¹, bungle, flounder, fudge, fumble, limp, shuffle, stagger, stumble. See thrive/fail/exist.

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,, thrive/fail/exist.

noun

1. 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/disorder.
2. A ruinous state of disorder: botch, foul-up, mess, shambles. Informal hash. Slang screwup, snafu. See correct/incorrect, order/disorder.
3. A stunned or bewildered condition: befuddlement, bewilderedness, bewilderment, daze, discombobulation, fog, mystification, perplexity, puzzlement, stupefaction, stupor, trance. See awareness/unawareness.

Blunder through something, manage but awkwardly, as in The choir never knows how to line up, but we muddle through somehow. [Early 1900s]

n

Definition: confused state
Antonyms: enlightenment, order, organization

v

Definition: confuse, disorganize
Antonyms: clear up, educate, enlighten, explain, explicate, order, organize

IN BRIEF: To confuse or cause to be confused.

Do not muddle the recipe or it will turn out badly.

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For a list of words related to muddle, see:

• Confusion

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See words rhyming with "muddler."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Muddle.

Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - forkludre, lave rod i
v. intr. - pusle, nusse (med), fjolle rundt
n. - roderi, forvirring

idioms:

• muddle along    klare sig på bedste beskub
• muddle through    klare sig igennem, så godt som man kan

Nederlands (Dutch)
warboel, er een potje van maken, verwarren, troebel maken

Français (French)
v. tr. - semer la pagaille dans, emmêler (de la ficelle), embrouiller les idées de, s'embrouiller dans qch (des dates)
v. intr. - se débrouiller tant bien que mal, se tirer d'affaire
n. - pagaille, embrouillamini, confusion, malentendu

idioms:

• muddle along    se débrouiller tant bien que mal, se tirer d'affaire/ s'en tirer tant bien que mal
• muddle something up    semer la pagaille dans des (papiers), emmêler (une ficelle)
• muddle through    se débrouiller tant bien que mal, se tirer d'affaire/s'en tirer tant bien que mal

Deutsch (German)
n. - Durcheinander
v. - durcheinanderbringen

idioms:

• muddle along    vor sich hin wursteln
• muddle something up    durcheinanderbringen, verwirren
• muddle through    (ugs.) sich durchwursteln

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - μπέρδεμα, αναστάτωση, κομφούζιο (κν. θαλάσσωμα, σαλάτα)
v. - μπερδεύω, μπουρδουκλώνω, συσκοτίζω, θολώνω, κάνω άνω-κάτω

idioms:

• muddle along    προχωρώ κουτσά στραβά, εντελώς ανοργάνωτα
• muddle through    κουτσοπορεύομαι, κουτσοκαταφέρνω

Italiano (Italian)
pasticciare, confusione

idioms:

• muddle along    tirare avanti alla meglio
• muddle through    cavarsela alla meno peggio

Português (Portuguese)
n. - confusão (f)
v. - confundir-se

idioms:

• muddle along    progresso casual
• muddle through    progresso por esforço

Русский (Russian)
беспорядок, путаница, смешанное общество, путать, портить, копаться, смущать, мутить

idioms:

• muddle along    действовать наобум
• muddle through    кое-как довести дело до конца

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - embrollar, confundir, aturdir, dejar confuso o perplejo
v. intr. - hacerse un lío, embrollar las cosas, hacer algo torpemente, salir del paso a duras penas
n. - desorden, confusión, embrollo

idioms:

• muddle along    ir tirando
• muddle something up    no distinguir algo de otra cosa
• muddle through    salir del paso, arreglárselas

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - röra, virrighet
v. - fördärva, förvirra, förväxla, slarva bort, vimsa, rota

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
混合, 使咬字不清晰, 使微醉, 胡乱对付, 困惑, 混浊状态

idioms:

• muddle along    得过且过, 混日子
• muddle through    敷衍过去, 敷衍了事

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 混合, 使咬字不清晰, 使微醉
v. intr. - 胡亂對付
n. - 困惑, 混濁狀態

idioms:

• muddle along    得過且過, 混日子
• muddle through    敷衍過去, 敷衍了事

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - 어리둥절하게 하다, 섞다, 망치다, 허비하다
v. intr. - 되는대로 생각하다, 멍청하게 되다
n. - 혼란[상태], 당황

idioms:

• muddle along    그럭저럭 해나가다
• muddle through    그럭저럭 해내다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - ごちゃ混ぜにする, まごつかせる, かき混ぜる, 混乱させる, 濁らせる, 浪費する
n. - 混乱

idioms:

• muddle along    お茶を濁してやっていく
• muddle through    なんとかやり遂げる

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) لخبطه (فعل) يلخبط عقله‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮בלבל, קלקל, שיבש, ערבב‬
v. intr. - ‮עשה מתוך בלבול‬
n. - ‮בלבול, מבוכה, ערבוביה, אי-סדר‬

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