1
as in sporadic
lacking in steadiness or regularity of occurrence
a sharp, choppy wind coming off the lake
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of choppy
Instead, the team’s decision-makers believed McCarthy would navigate choppy waters with their support.
—
Alec Lewis, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
Look for choppy sentences, unusual inflections, abnormal phrasing, or incongruent background noise.
—Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2026
But navigating choppy waters is nothing new to Fields, a single mom.
—Sasha Richie, Dallas Morning News, 27 Feb. 2026
While Gyllenhaal’s aesthetic evoked Old Hollywood heroine with a refined bend around the face, Buckley’s choppy cut was closer to the quintessential millennial.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for choppy
Alec Lewis, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
Look for choppy sentences, unusual inflections, abnormal phrasing, or incongruent background noise.
—Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2026
But navigating choppy waters is nothing new to Fields, a single mom.
—Sasha Richie, Dallas Morning News, 27 Feb. 2026
While Gyllenhaal’s aesthetic evoked Old Hollywood heroine with a refined bend around the face, Buckley’s choppy cut was closer to the quintessential millennial.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for choppy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for choppy
Adjective
-
But Fontecchio has been in and out of the rotation, and Johnson has played only sporadic minutes this season.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Kilauea is among the world’s most active volcanoes, with sporadic flare-ups since December 2024.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
If that means getting rougher and going outside of the rules and expectations for appropriate use of force, that’s all fine.—
Bob Ortega,
CNN Money,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The Dolphins went 7-10 and missed the playoffs last season, benching Tagovailoa in favor of Quinn Ewers for the final three games, ending a rough season for the former Alabama star.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Things got even more confusing when make-up artist Alexis Stone posted a picture of a prosthetic on Instagram alongside photos of Carrey at the awards show.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
5 Mar. 2026
-
For people who deal with a parent with addiction issues, that can be really confusing and painful.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
This is in contrast to assurances from local officials that people are safe and life can carry on as normal — albeit with occasional missile alerts and widespread school closures.—
Kelsey Warner,
semafor.com,
12 Mar. 2026
-
This tournament works here because this city does not treat international baseball as an occasional event.—
Noah Gulley,
Miami Herald,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The National Park Service sees planting as insurance against the uneven distribution and high mortality of the naturally sprouting trees.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Davis’ successor, Steve Alford, failed to replicate the success of Davis’ goodbye season during his uneven eight-year run in Iowa City.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
For a while, cities across Kentucky were inconsistent, with some observing the time change and others not.—
Chris Sims,
Louisville Courier Journal,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Progress to close the gender pay gap has been slow and inconsistent.—
Sophie Caldwell,
CNBC,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The gray, white, and blue stripes, accented with an intermittent chevron pattern, add interest, while moderate distressing helps disguise everyday wear and tear.—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Industry insiders have spoken of intermittent communication from Noma buyers and have alluded to them pitting farmers against each other in pursuit of better prices.—
Emily Wilson,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Miami had a bumpy stretch over its previous dozen games with four one-possession wins and two others that went to overtime.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Expect a bumpy and highly uncertain road ahead.—
Allie Canal,
NBC news,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Choppy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/choppy. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
