clutter

verb clut·ter \ ˈklə-tər \

|Updated on: 16 Jun 2018

Examples: clutter in a Sentence

Definition of clutter

cluttered; cluttering; clutters

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

In reality, academia is cluttered with odd cultures and practices which serve as barriers to entry—and, at times, as cover for discrimination.

— The Economist, "Barriers to entry," 10 May 2018
In his wheelchair by the TV, by a table cluttered with pill bottles and Nintendo controllers, Ronny scrolls on his phone, trying to pin down how much the National Rifle Association spends in politics.

— claire mcneill, miamiherald, "This student became a paraplegic in FSU shooting. He fights to exist, to graduate. | Miami Herald," 4 May 2018
Her Twitter feed was cluttered with rants about George Soros and retweets of conspiracy theorists, but the obvious bigotry of her Jarrett tweet managed to stick out immediately.

— david sims, The Atlantic, "Why ABC Finally Had to Cancel Roseanne," 29 May 2018
Instead, Mayer and his cinematographer, Matthew J. Lloyd, send the camera swooping and diving among the characters, cluttering up Chekhov’s lethal gaze.

— ty burr, BostonGlobe.com, "The Seagull’ has great performances but never takes wing," 23 May 2018
The riders began toppling over a few miles from the finish line, the crash cluttering up the left side of the road into Elk Grove with broken bikes and bodies.

— sacbee, "Gaviria sprints to victory in Stage 5 of Tour of California | The Sacramento Bee," 17 May 2018
South Beach, located on Hilton Head Island inside Sea Pines, was cluttered with hundreds of dead jellyfish on Jan. 20.

— mark price, charlotteobserver, "One of the world's top beaches is a 'blue carpet of slime' after creatures wash ashore | Charlotte Observer," 2 May 2018
Mayor Mark Mitchell said the city would need to ensure the Fbikes and scooters don't clutter up sidewalks or become littered through neighborhoods.

— jerod macdonald-evoy, azcentral, "Scottsdale puts the brakes on scooter sharing, Tempe gives it a try," 12 May 2018
The additional greens and more cluttered the plate.

— kate washington, sacbee, "If Allora can learn to relax a little, it will be one of the city's best restaurants | The Sacramento Bee," 11 May 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

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

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

This house should feel very Zen, Fredericks said, as the clutter of open shelves distracted.

— judy rose, Detroit Free Press, "Frank Lloyd Wright house near Ann Arbor is a 'small masterpiece'," 9 June 2018
Sanchez said, sitting amid a clutter of personal belongings.

— matier & ross, San Francisco Chronicle, "Oakland’s Lake Merritt getting clean up as NBA finals start Thursday," 30 May 2018
Mr Maruyama says the front-office clutter of high-street banks can be stripped away, leaving only cash machines.

— The Economist, "Japan’s bloated retail banks need to downsize," 3 May 2018
But Claire Reeves, who lives in Houston, wants the clutter out of her life.

— CBS News, "Making a clean sweep: Decluttering your life," 22 Apr. 2018
Get the clutter under control — starting with the junk drawers Decluttering is a first step in any home project.

— NBC News, "How to spruce up your home for spring ... on a budget," 19 Apr. 2018
For publishers and authors, book discovery is a continual challenge. Sites like Amazon, Goodreads, and Smashwords contain hundreds of millions of books, which makes the task of connecting a reader to the right read difficult amid the clutter.

— andrew liptak, The Verge, "Barnes and Noble’s new app makes finding your next read less overwhelming," 28 Mar. 2018
The commissioners say the signs clutter up county roads and in some cases impair sight-lines of cars.

— chris sikich, Indianapolis Star, "Hamilton County bans election, real estate signs in public right of way," 13 Feb. 2018
Not gonna lie, my bathroom looks like the minimalist Swedish design of my dreams without the clutter of 10+ items.

— claire fontanetta, Marie Claire, "I Used Nothing but Men's Beauty Products for a Week and Here's What Happened," 7 Sep. 2015

Origin and Etymology of clutter

see ¹clutter

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1649

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

clutter Synonyms

Synonyms

agglomerate, agglomeration, assortment, collage, grab bag, hash, hodgepodge, hotchpotch, jumble, litter, medley, mélange, miscellany, mishmash, mixed bag, motley, muddle, olio, olla podrida, omnium-gatherum, patchwork, potpourri, ragbag, rummage, salmagundi, scramble, shuffle, smorgasbord, tumble, variety, welter;

admixture, alloy, amalgam, blend, combination, commixture, composite, compound, fusion, intermixture, mix-up;

mess, morass, shambles;

CLUTTER Defined for English Language Learners

clutter

verb

Definition of clutter for English Language Learners

: to fill or cover (something) with many things : to fill or cover (something) with clutter

clutter

noun

Definition of clutter for English Language Learners

: a large amount of things that are not arranged in a neat or orderly way : a crowded or disordered collection of things

CLUTTER Defined for Kids

clutter

verb clut·ter \ ˈklə-tər \

Definition of clutter for Students

cluttered; cluttering

: to fill or cover with scattered things

clutter

noun

Definition of clutter for Students

: a collection of scattered things

Learn More about clutter

See words that rhyme with clutter Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for clutter Spanish Central: Translation of clutter Nglish: Translation of clutter for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of clutter for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about clutter

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up clutter? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

clutter

Definition of clutter

Examples of clutter in a Sentence

Recent Examples of clutter from the Web

Origin and Etymology of clutter

clutter

Definition of clutter

Examples of clutter in a Sentence

Recent Examples of clutter from the Web

Origin and Etymology of clutter

clutter Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

CLUTTER Defined for English Language Learners

clutter

Definition of clutter for English Language Learners

clutter

Definition of clutter for English Language Learners

CLUTTER Defined for Kids

clutter

Definition of clutter for Students

clutter

Definition of clutter for Students

Learn More about clutter

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

What It Means to Go ‘Radio Silent’

Words for Summer: A Quiz

If the Shoe Fits

Trending: 'Asylum' Trends as Policies Draw Attention

Ghost Word