clutter

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verb clut·ter \ ˈklə-tər \

Definition of clutter

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.

See clutter defined for English-language learners

See clutter defined for kids

Examples of clutter in a Sentence

The garage was cluttered with tools.
Try to avoid cluttering your desk with books and papers.

Recent Examples of clutter from the Web

A quarterback’s existence is cluttered enough, between workouts and the playbook and earning the respect of teammates — most of whom put their bodies at greater risk, and nearly all of whom make less money and receive less attention while doing it.

— sam mellinger, kansascity, "Chiefs’ Alex Smith won’t hear what you say about him; he’s probably listening to NPR," 26 Aug. 2017
Her studio is stark and warm and cluttered, a spatter of disparate materials that speak to her ranginess.

— christopher borrelli, chicagotribune.com, "The complicated exodus of art world star Cauleen Smith," 18 Aug. 2017
Bring too much stuff, and you’ll be miserably cluttered.

— pamela hayford, USA TODAY, "11 tips on planning a great family road trip," 12 Aug. 2017
The former industrial area, cluttered with derelict structures and thousands of tons of concrete debris, lay fallow for the next 15 years.

— port of seattle, The Seattle Times, "Terminal 107 park: Hidden gem preserves past and future," 8 Aug. 2017
On this day, unopened boxes still clutter his office and a decorative cattle skull waits to be hung on the wall.

— henry gass, The Christian Science Monitor, "Meet a new breed of prosecutor," 17 July 2017
But from a commercial perspective, all that backstory tends to clutter Besson’s front-stories.

— adam rogers, WIRED, "Luc Besson Tests the Outer Limits With Sci-Fi Epic Valerian," 6 July 2017
Before the 2:45 dismissal, as blue-haired ladies in large plastic glasses made their way along the sidewalk, the mid-spring Bay Ridge sky was cluttered with news-truck trees.

— mark jacobson, Daily Intelligencer, "The Generation Gap in My Living Room," 30 June 2017
For people who want to lower their already-low risk, experts recommend reducing the likelihood that rodents are around your home by getting rid of junk, cluttered firewood or brush or pet food outside.

— alexandra sifferlin, Time, "People Are Still Getting the Plague. Here's What You Need to Know," 28 June 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of clutter

Middle English clotteren to clot, from clot

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1556

See Words from the same year

clutter

noun

Definition of clutter

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

See clutter defined for English-language learners

Examples of clutter in a Sentence

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 of clutter from the Web

Wearing a carabiner like Beckham's reduces pocket clutter and unsightly bulge.

— liza corsillo, GQ, "Brooklyn Beckham's 4-Step Guide to Upgrading Your Daily Uniform," 3 Aug. 2017
The house is tidy, other than the clutter of Saquon’s awards and trophies, which overflow the shelves.

— pete thamel, SI.com, "Saquon Barkley's freak-show legs carry Heisman hype and Penn State's title hopes," 19 July 2017
Just as common: our desire to ditch this excess baggage, which has fired up the market for Marie Kondo's best-selling books, blogs and a magazine called Real Simple devoted in part to helping people ditch their clutter.

— CNN, "The life-changing science of photographing your clutter," 17 July 2017
Why not reduce clutter and store your roll stockpile in a linen closet or in the garage?

— the washington post, NOLA.com, "Don't let good taste go down the drain in the bathroom," 5 July 2017
There is a connection between environment and stress on both ends, with excessive clutter and excessive attention to detail both holding the power to distract us from our ability to love fully, work productively and relax effectively.

— carolyn hax, The Seattle Times, "Anxious micromanager learns — happily — to let it go," 29 June 2017
There is a connection between environment and stress on both ends, with excessive clutter and excessive attention to detail both holding the power to distract us from our ability to love fully, work productively and relax effectively.

— carolyn hax, The Seattle Times, "Anxious micromanager learns — happily — to let it go," 29 June 2017
There is a connection between environment and stress on both ends, with excessive clutter and excessive attention to detail both holding the power to distract us from our ability to love fully, work productively and relax effectively.

— carolyn hax, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Carolyn Hax: Letting go of the micromanagement impulse," 28 June 2017
To stay safe, keep your home and workplace rodent-proof by cleaning up garbage and clutter and getting rid of old firewood, all of which could attract them.

— anthea levi, Health.com, "3 People in New Mexico Got the Plague This Month—Here’s What You Need to Know About it," 28 June 2017