disheveled 1 of 2

variants or dishevelled

disheveled

2 of 2

verb

variants or dishevelled
past tense of dishevel

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 disheveled
Adjective
Petunias, which have become disheveled and leggy, can be pruned back to put out fresh, green growth and new blooms. Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Aug. 2025 Grunge fashion, known for its disheveled, lived-in aesthetic and popularized by Courtney Love in the ’90s, is perhaps the look’s most recent relation. Ella Alexander, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2025
Verb
His hair, which had been neatly trimmed for a court appearance several months ago, was darker and disheveled, his face bearded. Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Sep. 2025 But his turn in Slow Horses — as the brilliant, disheveled MI5 misfit Jackson Lamb — may be his most complete yet. Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for disheveled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disheveled
Adjective
  • With the success of TV shows like Hacks and The White Lotus, which explore the beautifully complicated, often messy inner lives of women who don’t fit the ingenue mold, perhaps more production companies will take chances on similar shows.
    Sam Reed, Glamour, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Jars of thick honey can feel messy or impractical for travel.
    Footwear News, Footwear News, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • And while those enforcement actions have not yet translated into criminal cases or fines against the employers, the raids themselves in some cases significantly disrupted business operations.
    Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Muscle cramps and playing surfaces As muscles fatigue, the normal balance between signals in the nervous system that direct muscles to contract and relax become disrupted.
    Michael Hales, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • An increasing number of boys are lonely, isolated and confused, wrestling with the aftermath of the #MeToo movement and the expectations of rigid masculinity, which has been widely characterized as toxic.
    Don Riddell, CNN Money, 13 Sep. 2025
  • The young men in Bruins blue and gold staggering off the field afterwards dazed, confused.
    Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Vic and Cali hadn’t wanted a wedding, but this had disturbed Vic’s parents.
    Bryan Washington, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Some civil servants working to bolster democracy around the world and at home, for example, were disturbed by shifts in foreign policy.
    Yvonne Zylan, The Conversation, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • According to Amazon reviews, the material is soft with just the right amount of stretch, while the fit is roomy without looking sloppy.
    Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 8 Sep. 2025
  • In that high‑tempo, but sloppy matchup, the Wildcats fell 46‑24, with Mari Adams, a top running back, contributing heavily on the ground and showing flashes of explosive play.
    Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • This is a young and talented group with tremendous upside under a defensive coordinator who thrives off chaotic defensive lines.
    Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
  • But everything about this first half offensively — save for one TD pass to Sutton — has felt unorganized and ineffective and chaotic.
    Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The state police photos show a typical off-campus residence – albeit a little on the unkempt side, with cases of alcohol littering the common areas, a folding table set up for beer pong, and empty cans on the floor.
    Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 2025
  • If Washington streets and public places are unkempt and unsafe, who will venture to go there?
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Budget cuts are about to bring big changes to San Diego’s 37 neighborhood library branches — including shorter hours, shuffled staff and rescheduled activities.
    David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Over the past two months, he’s been shuffled through three detention centers despite attempts to pay a bond set by the immigration judge.
    Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 22 Aug. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Disheveled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disheveled. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on disheveled

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!