muddle vs regulate

muddle

verb
  • To cloud or stupefy; to render stupid with liquor; to intoxicate partially. 

  • To dabble in mud. 

  • To mash slightly for use in a cocktail. 

  • To think and act in a confused, aimless way. 

  • To mix together, to mix up; to confuse. 

  • To make turbid or muddy. 

  • To waste or misuse, as one does who is stupid or intoxicated. 

noun
  • A mixture of crushed ingredients, as prepared with a muddler. 

  • A mixture; a confusion; a garble. 

regulate

verb
  • To dictate policy. 

  • To control or direct according to rule, principle, or law. 

  • To put or maintain in order. 

  • To adjust to a particular specification or requirement: regulate temperature. 

  • To adjust (a mechanism) for accurate and proper functioning. 

How often have the words muddle and regulate occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )