Idiom
mess something upmess (something) up
1.
to break, damage, or spoil something.
She worries that X-rays could mess up her laptop's hard drive.I messed up my ankle playing touch football.Most of kids at the party were well behaved, but there's always a few who mess things up.
2.
to do something badly or make mistakes.
I really messed up my chemistry exam.We had a chance to win the game, but we messed it up.
Usage notes: sometimes used in the form mess up on something:
I messed up on my driving test.