as in messy
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness
a chaotic cellar sorely in need of some straightening up
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of chaotic
Moving is chaotic, brain-taxing, and physically exhausting.
—
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 13 Apr. 2026
The Season 3 premiere is no different, plunging viewers back into Sam Levinson‘s provocative story about young people searching for meaning and connection in a chaotic, often cynical, world.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 12 Apr. 2026
The new installment picks up years later, with Malcolm now an adult and a father who has kept his distance from his chaotic family — until Hal and Lois pull him back in for a milestone anniversary celebration.
—Kennedy French, Variety, 11 Apr. 2026
Welcome to El Rastro, one of Europe's most legendary—and most chaotic—flea markets.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for chaotic
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 13 Apr. 2026
The Season 3 premiere is no different, plunging viewers back into Sam Levinson‘s provocative story about young people searching for meaning and connection in a chaotic, often cynical, world.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 12 Apr. 2026
The new installment picks up years later, with Malcolm now an adult and a father who has kept his distance from his chaotic family — until Hal and Lois pull him back in for a milestone anniversary celebration.
—Kennedy French, Variety, 11 Apr. 2026
Welcome to El Rastro, one of Europe's most legendary—and most chaotic—flea markets.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for chaotic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chaotic
Adjective
-
Wheatley isn’t a sudden-twitch mover and the tackling can get messy, but the size, awareness and ability to play deep, in the slot or around the box should keep him in the Day 2 conversation.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
-
A lot of the case seemed to come down to disorganization and messy paperwork.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
It gets filled by outside forces, many of whom have foreign ties and understand that a confused and misinformed public is easier to manipulate than an informed one.—
Julian Baron,
Baltimore Sun,
19 Apr. 2026
-
The second is that Trump, as strategist-in-chief, keeps giving his negotiators objectives so implausible, confused or contradictory that even the wiliest diplomats in history — a Klemens von Metternich in the 19th century, say, or a Henry Kissinger in the 20th — would come up empty.—
Andreas Kluth,
Mercury News,
18 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Ludvig Aberg swapped out some sloppy mistakes at the Masters with pure iron play at Harbour Town in warm, swirling wind that produced an 8-under 63 for a one-shot lead Thursday in the RBC Heritage.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
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Needing a win to clinch a postseason berth for the first time since 2018, the Ducks lost a sloppy 4-3 overtime decision to the Vancouver Canucks, the NHL’s worst team, leaving them a point shy of the playoffs with two games to play.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Excessive branding often draws unnecessary attention and can make an outfit feel cluttered rather than chic.—
Gabrielle Porcaro,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Apr. 2026
-
The result is a space that feels collected and lived-in without being cluttered or chaotic.—
Maria Sabella,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The musical, which examines in jumbled chronology the five-year relationship between novelist Jamie and actress Cathy, debuted in Chicago in 2001 and opened off Broadway the following year.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Initially intriguing, the jumbled chronology eventually proves to be largely decorative until a disappointing late-reel twist explains why the labored device was deployed in the first place.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In the past, her songs were so littered with personal details that listening felt voyeuristic.—
Madison Bloom,
Pitchfork,
31 Mar. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Chaotic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chaotic. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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