as in chaotic
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness
having a messy room is virtually de rigueur for a college student
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of messy
It was all carefully managed by Disney after its messy changeover in 2020, when Bob Iger handed the reins to Bob Chapek only to reclaim his job two years later.
—
Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 4 Feb. 2026
The messy firing of Martinez dominated much of the mayor’s second year in office, but the Chicago Board of Education’s search for his replacement has been bumpy as well.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
Another outside possibility is Debra OConnell, who oversees Disney’s linear networks, has been with the company for nearly 30 years across multiple roles, and most recently helped Walden deal (successfully) with a messy period at ABC News.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2026
About a dozen tots strapped up in their floor length aprons, eager to get messy in the garden, on a brisk winter Texas morning.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for messy
Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 4 Feb. 2026
The messy firing of Martinez dominated much of the mayor’s second year in office, but the Chicago Board of Education’s search for his replacement has been bumpy as well.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
Another outside possibility is Debra OConnell, who oversees Disney’s linear networks, has been with the company for nearly 30 years across multiple roles, and most recently helped Walden deal (successfully) with a messy period at ABC News.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2026
About a dozen tots strapped up in their floor length aprons, eager to get messy in the garden, on a brisk winter Texas morning.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for messy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for messy
Adjective
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His piece of genius separated the sides entering the 84th minute but during a chaotic finale, the hosts conspired to grab defeat from the jaws of victory.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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But Biden quickly sank in the late summer and fall, due in large part to a chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal and rising prices.—
Craig Gilbert,
jsonline.com,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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At times, Epstein characterized the billionaire’s office as sloppy and amateurish, exposing him to taxes and reputational risks while making sensitive payments.—
Tom Schoenberg,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
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The Heat also ran into its own sloppy play, committing 19 turnovers.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Developed by Penn Engineers, the system could improve safety of robots operating in cluttered indoor settings like warehouses and factories.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Feb. 2026
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Yes, your car is going to get dirty and cluttered on a long drive, but starting with a clean slate will make the aftermath much easier to deal with later.—
Mary Shannon Wells,
Southern Living,
12 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Many people are confused because they’ve been placed in a new district.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
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What’s troubling about the drop in vaccination rates, however, is that confused — and at times contradictory — public debate around vaccines has almost certainly driven that decline.—
Josh M. Shepherd,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The series does not touch on the tabloid attention that followed the Beckhams in 2004, when it was alleged that David had an affair with his personal assistant, Rebecca Loos, and the many further accusations of cheating that littered gossip columns after.—
Scarlett Harris,
Time,
9 Oct. 2025
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Cigarette butts are the most littered item on the planet.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Weekly, Weber and Finger have kept reliable and amusing tabs on the ever-expanding universe of Whos and dissected the increasingly jumbled celebrity hierarchy.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
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Getty Images The variability of a football club’s circumstances from one season to the next — the impact of promotion and relegation, the jumbled mass of player contracts on their books — means no two teams ever approach a transfer window from the same vantage point.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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This neighborhood, peopled almost entirely by the people who claim to have been driven from Poland and Russia, is the eyesore of New York and perhaps the filthiest place on the western continent.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
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Rodents, roaches, flies and knives stored in filthy places were among the myriad violations on this week’s Sick and Shut Down List of South Florida restaurants that failed state inspection.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Messy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messy. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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