1
as in sporadic
lacking in steadiness or regularity of occurrence
a sharp, choppy wind coming off the lake
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rough
marked by a series of sharp quick motions
the old cable car provides a picturesque but choppy ride to the mountain's peak
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in confusing
not clearly or logically connected
the plot was intriguing, but the author's style was so choppy that I finally gave up in frustration
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of choppy
Arne Slot’s second season was always likely to come with choppier waters.
—
Mark Carey, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
To recreate Saoirse Ronan's choppy bob, Renegar suggests first towel-drying the hair and applying a volumizing mist from the root to the middle of the hair.
—Elise Tabin, InStyle, 14 Jan. 2026
Between wading or boating into choppy surf, baking in the hot sun, and getting doused in salty spray, the elements are brutal on the human body and the gear meant to withstand them.
—Francesca Krempa, Outside, 9 Jan. 2026
The star of her beauty look is definitely her asymmetrical, choppy bangs.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for choppy
Mark Carey, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
To recreate Saoirse Ronan's choppy bob, Renegar suggests first towel-drying the hair and applying a volumizing mist from the root to the middle of the hair.
—Elise Tabin, InStyle, 14 Jan. 2026
Between wading or boating into choppy surf, baking in the hot sun, and getting doused in salty spray, the elements are brutal on the human body and the gear meant to withstand them.
—Francesca Krempa, Outside, 9 Jan. 2026
The star of her beauty look is definitely her asymmetrical, choppy bangs.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for choppy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for choppy
Adjective
-
Oversight becomes sporadic and trust weakens, not because systems fail outright, but because people struggle to explain or stand behind what the systems do.—
Murugan Anandarajan,
The Conversation,
22 Jan. 2026
-
There have also been sporadic collaborations with figures such as Katharine Hamnett and British visual artist Julian Opie.—
Lily Templeton,
Footwear News,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The lynchpin to it all is recognizing that 69% of gross domestic product, a rough though imperfect measure of the economy, is consumer spending.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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The hilarious ensemble comedy plays out during a dinner party between a couple who are going through a rough patch and their upstairs neighbors, who turn out to be swingers.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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As an avalanche and dead bodies ratchet up the suspense, Zach must lean on his mother’s wisdom to fight for his life while deciphering a confusing undercurrent of danger, violence and betrayal among the survivors.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Yeah, this is pretty confusing on the surface.—
Jesse Newell,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Writing a novel is a solitary experience but not writing one is even more so, without the occasional call from an editor or marketing person to keep me warm.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
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In wellness circles, the drink is credited with a draining, detoxifying, and purifying action that may assist the body’s natural detox processes and help counter occasional constipation.—
Beatrice Zocchi,
Vogue,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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While Beijing has rolled out trade-in subsidies to spur sales of cars and appliances, the rebound in spending has been uneven.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
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More clients mean uneven cash timing.—
Melissa Houston,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Andrademembreno’s attorney, Paul Rogers, argued that Berrios lied and pointed to multiple inconsistent statements to authorities and prosecutors and in her testimony.—
City News Service,
Oc Register,
25 Jan. 2026
-
Trump proved to be a vexing ideological lodestar—aggressively anti-intellectual in his attitudes and consistently inconsistent in his views.—
Jason Zengerle,
New Yorker,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The study offers a biological explanation for why movement—even gentle or intermittent movement—may help slow tumor growth.—
Avi Patel,
Hartford Courant,
30 Jan. 2026
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Ray, by contrast, is a figure of intermittent but undeniable mirth—a citadel of physical perfection whose sublimity occasionally touches the ridiculous.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Cacao 2-pack Phone Lanyard Dropping your phone on a crowded street or a bumpy ride is a travel nightmare.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Jan. 2026
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The veteran right-hander had missed most of the prior year due to elbow surgery, and after a bumpy three-year run as a starter Whitlock was set to return to the bullpen full-time.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
16 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Choppy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/choppy. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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