muddle along
Get by imperfectly
To muddle along is to proceed without clear direction or competence, managing somehow despite confusion or difficulty.
The phrase suggests getting by rather than thriving—coping adequately but without distinction: We don't have a real plan; we're just muddling along.
British English sometimes uses muddle through with similar meaning.
Continue doing something
- keep goingMaintain forward progress
- plod onContinue wearily forward
- press onContinue despite hardship
- soldier onContinue despite difficulty
trudge on · plug away · persevere · stick it out · hang in there · stay the course · forge ahead · push through
Survive with minimal resources
- make doManage with insufficient resources
- manageDirect or handle successfully
- scrape bySurvive with minimal resources
- copeHandle difficulties adequately
survive · eke out · keep afloat · tread water · make ends meet · hang on · hold together · wing it
Struggle awkwardly, or seafood
- fumbleHandle with clumsy fingers
- stumbleLose footing momentarily
- falterLose momentum or steadiness
- gropeFeel about blindly
flail · blunder · bumble · stagger · lurch · hobble · limp · founder
Absence of systematic arrangement
- disorderAbsence of organization
- chaosComplete disorder and confusion
- disarrayLack of order
- haphazardlyWithout order or plan
aimlessly · bewilderment · fog · scattered · unfocused · adrift · lost · directionless
Survive with minimal resources
- scrape throughBarely manage success
- passablyTo an acceptable extent
- adequatelyTo a satisfactory extent
- unremarkablyIn an ordinary manner
so-so · middling · fair-to-middling · tolerably · modestly · ordinarily · nothing special · just enough
carry on
Continue doing something
- keep goingMaintain forward progress
- plod onContinue wearily forward
- press onContinue despite hardship
soldier on · trudge on · plug away · persevere · stick it out · hang in there · stay the course · forge ahead · push through · grind on
get by
Survive with minimal resources
- make doManage with insufficient resources
- manageDirect or handle successfully
- scrape bySurvive with minimal resources
cope · survive · eke out · keep afloat · tread water · make ends meet · hang on · hold together · wing it · improvise
flounder
Struggle awkwardly, or seafood
grope · flail · blunder · bumble · stagger · lurch · hobble · limp · founder · grapple
disorganization
Absence of systematic arrangement
haphazardly · aimlessly · bewilderment · fog · scattered · unfocused · adrift · lost · directionless · uncertain
get by
Survive with minimal resources
- scrape throughBarely manage success
- passablyTo an acceptable extent
- adequatelyTo a satisfactory extent
unremarkably · so-so · middling · fair-to-middling · tolerably · modestly · ordinarily · nothing special · just enough · bare minimum