muddle | muddled
Exam frequency
GRE
high
Banks
high
Civil Services
high
Meaning(s)
a state of disorder or confusion
How to Memorize
muddle - mess
Analysis
The easiest way to remember how to use ‘muddle’ is to think of making something muddy. That’s because the word implies making something messy and unclear which can lead to errors, poor judgement, and miscommunication. It is most commonly used in a professional context and has only negative connotations.
| Exams | Spoken | Other | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Synonyms | disorder,confusion,tangle | ||
| Antonyms | clarify,coordinate,interpret |
Example(s)
I have so much going on at work at the moment that I can’t think straight. My thoughts are all in a muddle!
A lack of interdepartmental communication is what caused this muddle. We must ensure that such confusion does not happen again in future.
The situation is all muddled at the moment. Once things start to settle down again we should be able to get some clarity.