1
as in sporadic
lacking in steadiness or regularity of occurrence
a sharp, choppy wind coming off the lake
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rough
marked by a series of sharp quick motions
the old cable car provides a picturesque but choppy ride to the mountain's peak
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in confusing
not clearly or logically connected
the plot was intriguing, but the author's style was so choppy that I finally gave up in frustration
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of choppy
There’s a moment every captain knows well: The sky darkens, the wind picks up and the sea turns choppy.
—
Wayne Anderman, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
Things get a bit choppy and the ending lacks punch, but the performances from Kroll and Rannells are priceless and save the film from itself.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 6 June 2025
And that choppy, fractured feeling — as if the team wasn’t fully coalesced — spilled into the regular season.
—Matt Barrows, New York Times, 17 May 2025
Trading was again choppy after Moody's late Friday downgraded its rating on U.S. government debt.
—Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for choppy
Wayne Anderman, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
Things get a bit choppy and the ending lacks punch, but the performances from Kroll and Rannells are priceless and save the film from itself.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 6 June 2025
And that choppy, fractured feeling — as if the team wasn’t fully coalesced — spilled into the regular season.
—Matt Barrows, New York Times, 17 May 2025
Trading was again choppy after Moody's late Friday downgraded its rating on U.S. government debt.
—Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for choppy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for choppy
Adjective
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Iran needs nuclear energy to meet the demands of its growing population; sporadic blackouts are already commonplace.—
Robin Wright,
New Yorker,
16 June 2025
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It’s sparked protests, vandalism and sporadic clashes with police that prompted President Trump to send military troops to downtown L.A., sparking questions over state rights.—
Libor Jany,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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Everyone plodded along, trying desperately to avoid rough that hasn’t been cut and greens that never seem to lose their speed.—
Doug Ferguson,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2025
-
More Getty Images Clark, the 2023 U.S. Open champion, had a rough week.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 June 2025
Adjective
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Because geniuses tend not to specialize in things like picking up after themselves, the human price is often paid by a long-suffering partner-secretary—wifely figures like Véra Nabokov, Sophia Tolstoy, and Alice B. Toklas, or the occasional husband like Leonard Woolf.—
S. C. Cornell,
New Yorker,
16 June 2025
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The key is consistency – creating regular opportunities to develop listening muscles through practice rather than relegating Deep Listening to occasional workshops or retreats.—
Marybeth Gasman,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
Adjective
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Avoid wobbly or uneven fittings to keep everything centered.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 June 2025
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That means Juno’s radio transmissions will experience the Doppler effect, where the wavelength shifts slightly in response to Io’s uneven gravitational field.—
Robin Andrews,
Wired News,
15 June 2025
Adjective
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This can result in inconsistent model behavior or bloated integrations.—
Adrian Bridgwater,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
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Chiefs 2022 second-round pick Skyy Moore has been productive in practices but also needs to regain trust after previous inconsistent play.—
Jesse Newell,
Kansas City Star,
19 June 2025
Adjective
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That amounts to success through delay—a repeatable outcome, sustained through intermittent precision attacks.—
David A. Deptula,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
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Despite the relentless pre-match hype montages, intermittent deluges of FIFA self-congratulation and the blasting of Robbie Williams’ hilariously self-parodic tournament theme song at half-time.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
17 June 2025
Adjective
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Washington — The Senate passed a landmark piece of legislation to regulate crypto after a bumpy path through the upper chamber.—
June 17,
CBS News,
17 June 2025
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Consonant-heavy words lumber and stumble across a bumpy verbal landscape.—
A.O. Scott,
New York Times,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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This year’s mayoral race has so far been a strange, frustrating exercise.—
Eric Lach,
New Yorker,
13 June 2025
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However, managing their ripeness can be a frustrating endeavor.—
Maryal Miller Carter,
USA Today,
13 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Choppy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/choppy. Accessed 29 Jun. 2025.
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