clutter

verb clut·ter \ ˈklə-tər \

Updated on: 19 May 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

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
But the underlying principle of all this reporting is that your world is not likely cluttered enough, that most of us occupy smaller, myopic internal maps of Chicago.

— christopher borrelli, chicagotribune.com, "In a city full of journalists and photographers, does Chicago have any secrets left?," 1 May 2018
Construction cranes clutter the big sky for which Montana is known.

— jen fifield, The Christian Science Monitor, "Promise of outdoor activities pulls new residents to rural areas," 19 Apr. 2018
Just try to figure out where Gordon Parks was standing when Reese took a snapshot of Parks’ pleasantly cluttered Manhattanliving room.

— mary carole mccauley, baltimoresun.com, "Lewis museum photo exhibit 'Reflections' looks into lives of prominent black Americans," 17 Mar. 2018
Repetition keeps everything from seeming cluttered.

— Sunset, "How to Grow a Desert Garden Anywhere," 22 Jan. 2018
Scenic designer Cameron Michalak has created a spectacular ruin of a place, cluttered with worthless crap - a mishmash of American eagle door plaques and old beer signs.

— andrea simakis, cleveland.com, "Dobama Theatre's 'Appropriate' is Long Day's Journey Into White (review)," 26 Apr. 2018
While creativity may abound within the walls of an office, too often the actual interiors get ignored, overrun with papers and cluttered with coffee cups.

— francesca ragazzi, Vogue, "Space to Dream: Italian Vogue’s Offices Get a New Look for Salone," 18 Apr. 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

Whereas other gay restaurants like Jackson’s or the Fickle Fox might have accompanied a meal with live piano music or go-go dancers, Hamburger Mary’s distinguished itself by its wood-and-clutter decor, ample greenery and giant plates.

— jonathan kauffman, San Francisco Chronicle, "Hamburger Mary’s grandiose return to SF comes with side of controversy," 30 Apr. 2018
For those tech-savvy friends and family members who love variety and hate clutter, a digital picture frame is the perfect gift.

— Redbook, "7 Easy Last-Minute Gift Ideas," 14 Dec. 2010
There is a clutter to life that ideas can never tolerate or make go away.

— aaron gilbreath, Longreads, "The Red Caddy," 24 Apr. 2018
Republicans are always numbers, charts, percentages, GDP, but the story of Kate Steinle, Jamiel Shaw, Donald Trump understood that the stories of real people are what's going to cut through the clutter.

— Fox News, "Rove, Gingrich, Baier and Hume pay tribute to Barbara Bush," 19 Apr. 2018
Transit enthusiasts are thrilled by the excitement around biking, but these dockless services are already becoming synonymous with clutter and obstructed sidewalks.

— andrew j. hawkins, The Verge, "Uber acquires dockless bike-share startup Jump," 9 Apr. 2018
After the argument with his mother, an investigator visited the family's home in Parkland, which was clean, clutter-free and did not present any foul odors.

— Anchorage Daily News, "Inquiry found Florida suspect was no danger," 17 Feb. 2018
Start with clutter that’s laying around, then work your way through the closets.

— pat setter, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Steps to make moving less of a burden," 27 Jan. 2018
The book deals with physical clutter that can prevent both weight loss and leading a fuller, richer life.

— jennifer rude klett, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "The lean kitchen: Cutting clutter, waste and inefficiencies," 19 Jan. 2018