clutter

verb clut·ter \ ˈklə-tər \

Updated on: 8 Apr 2018

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

The signing of Saunders also further clutters a minor league outfield mix that has created a logjam for prospects such as Austin Hays and switch hitter Cedric Mullins, both of whom are beginning the season in Double-A Bowie.

— eduardo a. encina, baltimoresun.com, "Orioles add outfielder Michael Saunders on minor league deal," 2 Apr. 2018
In Seattle, the city government is testing designated dockless parking spots to try and avoid sidewalks cluttered with bikes.

— patrick sisson, Curbed, "Will dockless bikes and scooters take over city sidewalks?," 27 Mar. 2018
Both companies are trying to act as a bridge between you and these other video apps, which sometimes have cluttered or bad interfaces.

— chris welch, The Verge, "Google’s Play Movies app for Android now shows where you can stream everything," 27 Mar. 2018
Other golfers looked like walking websites cluttered with too many ads: logos on their hats, collars, chests and sleeves, all for different corporate sponsors.

— michael rosenberg, SI.com, "Tiger Woods is Roaring Back Just in Time For Augusta - Who Isn't Excited?," 26 Mar. 2018
The floors, hallways, kitchen, play area and living room space was cluttered, dirty and dingy.

— Washington Post, "Mice in the couches, mold on the walls: Years of problems at this government-funded shelter for abused women.," 21 Mar. 2018
Mosley said that the street across from her church had become an eyesore over the last year, cluttered with trash and sewage dumped by people living there in campers and buses.

— emily alpert reyes, latimes.com, "As businesses cite blight, overnight RV parking bans on L.A. streets grow — and the homeless scramble," 15 Mar. 2018
But that compact area is cluttered with hundreds of objects — though dominated by just one, the piano where Heath works.

— mary carole mccauley, baltimoresun.com, "Lewis museum photo exhibit 'Reflections' looks into lives of prominent black Americans," 17 Mar. 2018
The emoji gets it: Samsung made a terrific phone with the S9, but cluttered it with too many features that don't work well enough.

— david pierce, WSJ, "Samsung Galaxy S9 Is Impressive and Infuriating," 8 Mar. 2018

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

Except for a few knickknacks from the Swedish company Skultuna, the couple avoids clutter.

— florence kane, WSJ, "At Home With the Power Couple Behind New Makeup Line Westman Atelier," 31 Mar. 2018
Her homes have always felt lived in, full of clutter, dogs, and stuff that children have dumped; his are like country-house hotels with not a photograph or a magazine out of place.

— penny junor, Vanities, "How Camilla Won Over the Queen and Became the Duchess of Cornwall," 28 Mar. 2018
This apartment, empty of the family collections and clutter of a normal home, is their refuge.

— kyung lah and alberto moya, CNN, "Inside a safe house, hiding from ICE," 14 Mar. 2018
Pictures circulated on social medial of a towering pile of broken bikes in Shenzhen and a massive bike burial mound in Xiamen have become damning symbols of the clutter.

— pavel alpeyev, Bloomberg.com, "Japan Is Trying to Avoid China's Bike-Sharing Mess," 16 Jan. 2018
The minimalist movement has spawned rooms that are pared down, with less clutter, fewer accessories and natural, restful elements.

— nancy a. herrick, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Home refresh: Trendy accents can provide an up-to-date look," 9 Mar. 2018
Some stats that the app does display, like the number of days elapsed during a mission, also come with physical trackers that only serve to add needless clutter and administrative hassle.

— owen duffy, Ars Technica, "First Martians board game makes a powerful case for staying on Earth," 20 Jan. 2018
In response, small upstart brands are fighting the clutter, whether through subscription services or the luxury sector’s newfound fascination with customization.

— jake woolf, GQ, "The Start-Up Menswear Brand That Wants You to Buy an Entire Wardrobe All at Once," 9 Jan. 2018
Like many people in their seventies and eighties, Buddy Elias and his wife Gertie are downsizing – clearing out the attic and getting rid of several generations’ worth of papers, clutter and possessions from their family home in Basel, Switzerland.

— karen bartlett, Newsweek, "Bringing Anne Frank Home - to Germany," 5 Feb. 2015