cluttered; cluttering; clutters
chiefly dialectal
: to run in disorder
: to fill or cover with scattered or disordered things that impede movement or reduce effectiveness
a room cluttered with toys
—often used with upToo many signs were cluttering up the street corner.
1
a
: a crowded or confused mass or collection
a clutter of motels and restaurants
b
: things that clutter a place
tried to minimize the unnecessary clutter in her house
2
: interfering radar echoes caused by reflection from objects (as on the ground) other than the target
3
chiefly dialectal
: disturbance, hubbub
Examples of clutter in a Sentence
Verb
The garage was cluttered with tools.
Try to avoid cluttering your desk with books and papers.
Noun
There's a lot of unnecessary clutter in the house.
a scrapbook that was a clutter of snapshots, diary entries, letters, and newspaper clippings
Recent Examples on the Web
Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Apr. 2026
Similar forces have led to ads that subtly clutter up Apple’s App Stores and some that occasionally expose users to low-quality and scammy apps.
—ArsTechnica, 24 Apr. 2026
Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 15 May 2026
His practice is deliberately stripped of the usual industry clutter.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for clutter
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show current usage.
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Verb
Fortunately, there’s a way to prevent them from cluttering up the kitchen.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Apr. 2026
Similar forces have led to ads that subtly clutter up Apple’s App Stores and some that occasionally expose users to low-quality and scammy apps.
—ArsTechnica, 24 Apr. 2026
Noun
Some retreats require full surrender of devices; others, like Bali’s Ditch Your Desk Adventures, focus on intentional tech use — pairing mornings of journaling and movement with workshops on focus, mental clutter and building online income streams.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 15 May 2026
His practice is deliberately stripped of the usual industry clutter.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for clutter
Cite this Entry
“Clutter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clutter. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
clutter
1 of 2 verb
clut·ter
ˈklət-ər 
: to fill or cover with a disorderly scattering of things
clutter up a room
clutter
2 of 2 noun
: a crowded or confused collection
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