muddle
verb (used with object)
to mix up in a confused or bungling manner; jumble.
had muddled
-
past perfectof muddle.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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.
Dementia had muddled the dates in his mind.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
The game had muddled along all scoreless almost to halftime, the punters merrily booming along the way to their combined 13 punts, eight of them by Clemson’s Will Spiers.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 4, 2021
“Same situation, really. You had muddled young people living a lie.”
From The New Yorker ● May 19, 2017
I had muddled dishes of tilefish and arctic char that conveyed absolutely no sense of place.
From New York Times ● May 6, 2011
This train of thought may sound childish, but bear in mind that Penelope had muddled through without her parents for many a year.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
