cluttered; cluttering; clutters
chiefly dialectal
: to run in disorder
: to fill or cover with scattered or disordered things that impede movement or reduce effectiveness
a room cluttered with toys
—often used with upToo many signs were cluttering up the street corner.
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
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
Marisa Suzanne Martin, The Spruce, 17 Jan. 2026
Milk Mura, a short stroll from Sushi Dokoro Ichii, offers a whimsical twist on this tradition, serving sets of housemade soft serve alongside a choice of over 100 liquors and liqueurs (2,000 yen) in a storybook interior cluttered with trinkets like dolls and clocks.
—New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
Jacqueline Tempera, PEOPLE, 22 Jan. 2026
Digitize to protect memories, reduce clutter, and simplify access.
—Cori Sears, The Spruce, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clutter
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Verb
In addition to their cluttering-collecting tendencies, dish drainers are prone to accumulating water spots, soap residue, and grime.
—Marisa Suzanne Martin, The Spruce, 17 Jan. 2026
Milk Mura, a short stroll from Sushi Dokoro Ichii, offers a whimsical twist on this tradition, serving sets of housemade soft serve alongside a choice of over 100 liquors and liqueurs (2,000 yen) in a storybook interior cluttered with trinkets like dolls and clocks.
—New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
Noun
Coffee tables aren’t just a practical way to corral clutter or add storage in your living room.
—Jacqueline Tempera, PEOPLE, 22 Jan. 2026
Digitize to protect memories, reduce clutter, and simplify access.
—Cori Sears, The Spruce, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clutter
Cite this Entry
“Clutter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clutter. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
clutter
1 of 2 verb
clut·ter
ˈklət-ər 
: to fill or cover with a disorderly scattering of things
clutter up a room
clutter
2 of 2 noun
: a crowded or confused collection
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