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
The storm could spread a messy mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain over a long corridor from the southern plains into the Southeast and up through parts of the Northeast.
—
Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Veterinarians call it happy tail syndrome, which sounds cute, but can be painful, messy and stubborn to heal from.
—Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 21 Jan. 2026
Use an outdoor rug that’s easy to wash, since plants are messy.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Jan. 2026
But by that point, the damage is done, so a messy Monday morning commute is expected.
—Justin Lewis, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for messy
Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Veterinarians call it happy tail syndrome, which sounds cute, but can be painful, messy and stubborn to heal from.
—Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 21 Jan. 2026
Use an outdoor rug that’s easy to wash, since plants are messy.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Jan. 2026
But by that point, the damage is done, so a messy Monday morning commute is expected.
—Justin Lewis, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for messy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for messy
Adjective
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By contrast, fringe subcultures operate in a more cryptic and chaotic manner.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
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Much of the movie's story revolves around Marty's chaotic efforts to make enough money to travel to Japan and compete in a tournament there.—
Tommy McArdle,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Jeans This ‘90s-style denim by Levi’s has a slightly slouchy fit (that doesn’t border on the side of sloppy) with a straight leg.—
Reece Andavolgyi,
InStyle,
20 Jan. 2026
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The same traits—sloppy reasoning but a desire for collective punishment—animate other immigration-policy announcements.—
Idrees Kahloon,
The Atlantic,
18 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Rather than letting those items pile up in a cluttered mess, opt for a compact organizer with enough storage to hold all the essentials.—
Rachel Trujillo,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 2026
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Authoring this noisy, jazzy track all by his lonesome, Weir vocally zig-zagged his way across a cluttered arrangement flush with oddball time changes.—
A.D. Amorosi,
Variety,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Goedert scored his second touchdown on a fourth-and-2 leaving a confused Malik Mustapha behind him in the left flat.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
12 Jan. 2026
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Yet many of its citizens feel both whiplashed and confused.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
11 Jan. 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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Instead of leaving a jumbled mess of cords and devices on the counter, try a dedicated charging drawer.—
Alexandra Kelly,
Martha Stewart,
21 Jan. 2026
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Perhaps whoever comes in — either as the full interim rather than the pre-interim, or the actual full-time appointment, whenever that is — will figure out a way to make this expensive but jumbled squad work.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Slightly less filthy than the ones on the balcony, those bricks could have used a coat of paint.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
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Sauron was bested by some filthy Hobbitses and their pal, Gollum.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Messy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messy. Accessed 26 Jan. 2026.
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