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
Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Feb. 2026
Trash Bags Road trips are the perfect opportunity to use up some of those plastic grocery bags cluttering the cabinet beneath your sink.
—Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 12 Feb. 2026
Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 20 Feb. 2026
From clean cupboards that keep your cooking on track to clutter-free closets that make getting dressed a breeze, having less stuff makes the everyday easier, and who wouldn't want that?
—Maggie Gillette, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clutter
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
The goal is not to eliminate necessities, but to remove the excess that clutters both your space and your mind.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Feb. 2026
Trash Bags Road trips are the perfect opportunity to use up some of those plastic grocery bags cluttering the cabinet beneath your sink.
—Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 12 Feb. 2026
Noun
Keep your sink clutter-free and save 38 percent on the Mirtan Kitchen Sink Caddy.
—Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 20 Feb. 2026
From clean cupboards that keep your cooking on track to clutter-free closets that make getting dressed a breeze, having less stuff makes the everyday easier, and who wouldn't want that?
—Maggie Gillette, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Feb. 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 24 Feb. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
