clutter

verb

clut·ter | \ ˈklə-tər

cluttered; cluttering; clutters

Definition of clutter

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

chiefly dialectal : to run in disorder

transitive verb

: to fill or cover with scattered or disordered things that impede movement or reduce effectiveness a room cluttered with toys —often used with up Too many signs were cluttering up the street corner.

clutter

noun

Definition of clutter (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : 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

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about clutter

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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: Verb

In addition to color considerations, paint companies must also adapt their products to help vehicles avoid dirt buildup, which can clutter sensors and give false signals to self-driving cars. — Nathan Bomey, USA TODAY, "Why self-driving cars will likely be light-colored," 29 Jan. 2018 The gymnasium was carpeted and cluttered with garbage, while food wrappers, cigarette butts and empty beer bottles lined the curb outside. — Jason L. Riley, WSJ, "A Charter-School Principal Won’t Go to Prison," 30 Apr. 2019 As someone who’s allergic to clutter, having the back entrance of Edgewood Hall lead straight into the kitchen was a no-go. — Eddie Ross, House Beautiful, "Eddie Ross Offers His 4 Best Tips For Creating The Chicest Mudroom Ever," 9 Jan. 2019 The steering wheel controls are cluttered and counterintuitive but it could be mastered in more than a day. — Robert Duffer, chicagotribune.com, "Review: 2018 Honda Clarity plug-in hybrid clears the way for electrification," 31 Aug. 2017 There are too many candidates cluttering the stage at the moment. — Erin Ailworth, WSJ, "In Chicago, Another Daley Looks to Revive a Political Dynasty," 22 Jan. 2019 As the city expanded and industrialized, its churches and monuments became blackened with soot and grime; its quays, cluttered with warehouses and frequented by prostitutes. — Molly Wizenberg, Town & Country, "Vintage Bordeaux," 14 Jan. 2013 Will there be highways cluttered with thousands of inoperable vehicles? — WSJ, "Mr. Nader Misses the Mark on Driverless Cars," 30 Aug. 2018 Bags from designer boutiques like Maxfield cluttered the foyer. — New York Times, "Growing Up Getty," 23 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Celebrities, in that regard, are a way of cutting through the clutter, but not without the baggage of images that include privileged lives and private jets. — Brian Lowry, CNN, "Leonardo DiCaprio spotlights urgency of climate crisis in new film," 11 June 2019 His next two — Luna and Nova — were on a local classifieds website’s miscellaneous old clutter section. — Kaitlyn Tiffany, Vox, "Every Furby gets a home," 21 Dec. 2018 His idea of an acceptable level of clutter and mine are very different. — Allison Duncan, WSJ, "The Expert’s Guide to Scoring Décor Deals Online," 14 Feb. 2019 That's why Kondo's books have done so well—some people want to take on the clutter themselves. — Taylor Mead, House Beautiful, "Meet Marie Kondo, Star Of Tidying Up On Netflix," 5 Jan. 2019 And not to mention, free of this unnecessary clutter. — Kelly Dawson, House Beautiful, "How to Dispose of Paint In a Safe and Responsible Way," 29 Apr. 2019 These days, Rubio has a lot more options but remains averse to the clutter that comes with holding onto excess. — Vogue, "Away’s Jet-Setting Cofounder Packs Like a Pro, Shops on the Go," 15 Mar. 2019 Units can be networked together to increase resolution and more precisely filter out that clutter. — Eric Adams, WIRED, "Raytheon's New Radar Could Help Bring Flying Cars to Our Cities," 11 Apr. 2018 The response to dockless bikes in Australia was hostile—even in bike-friendly places like Melbourne, the country’s second-biggest city, where the former mayor declared bikes left on sidewalks to be clutter. — Mike Cherney, WSJ, "Lime Looks to Peddle Its Bicycles in Australia," 16 Jan. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'clutter.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.