disorderly

adjective

Definition of disorderlynext
1
as in criminal
not restrained by or under the control of legal authority disorderly mobs roamed the streets after the fall of the city

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in messy
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness disorderly piles of clothes on various tables about the room

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 disorderly He was then placed into custody for disorderly public intoxication and transported to Broward County’s main jail. — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026 Police said one concertgoer was issued a summons for disorderly conduct and another for disorderly behavior. — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 13 July 2026 She was taken to the Hernando County Detention Center and was charged with battery on a law enforcement officer, breach of peace/disorderly intoxication. — Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 12 June 2026 The five travelers are being investigated in connection with assaulting a police officer, fighting in a public place, resisting arrest, malicious damage and disorderly behavior in a police station. — Nathan Diller, USA Today, 11 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for disorderly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disorderly
  1. criminal
  2. messy
  3. rebellious
  4. chaotic
  5. anarchic
  6. littered
  7. unruly
  8. sloppy
Adjective
  • Jacobs was formally charged Thursday with misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor criminal damage to property, stemming from the May 23 incident at his home near Green Bay.
    — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The bill brings state fireworks licensing requirements in line with federal ones by expanding the list of criminal convictions that make applicants ineligible for fireworks licenses.
    — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of criminal
Adjective
  • Football is a messy game with far too many variables for one statistic to ever fully grasp.
    — Austin Mock, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The districts' policies are part of a messy patchwork of new laws and guidelines that have spread across the United States, leaving inconsistent rules state-by-state, or even district-by-district.
    — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of messy
Adjective
  • Twenty-nine years have passed since then, yet the memory of the princess—an empathetic woman who defied convention, vulnerable yet rebellious, and imbued with a profound humanity—remains vivid and very much alive in the eyes of the entire world.
    — Laura Scafati, Vanity Fair, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Next month, broader audiences will discover Halkias’s rebellious brand of humor with Uncle Stav, his latest Netflix standup special, a follow-up to 2023’s Fat Rascal.
    — Jonathan Borge, InStyle, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of rebellious
Adjective
  • Local officials said the scene on the ground was chaotic, with multiple people taken to area hospitals.
    — Chandelis Duster, NPR, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Gilbertson’s involvement in the ports grew out of a series of chaotic mergers that in the 1990s led to endless disputes among shippers and the railroads about whose cargo would move first.
    — John Lippert, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of chaotic
Adjective
  • Together, the two embark on an anarchic mother-and-daughter journey to reconnect.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The whole thing is an anarchic delirium reminiscent of the kind experienced by Bart and Milhouse after drinking an all-syrup Super Squishee; thankfully, the comedown is quick and relatively painless.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 29 June 2026
Definition of anarchic
Adjective
  • In the past, her songs were so littered with personal details that listening felt voyeuristic.
    — Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 31 Mar. 2026
  • 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
Definition of littered
Adjective
  • There have been more than 1,160 unruly passenger incidents reported so far this year, according to the FAA.
    — Taylor Galgano, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2026
  • So far in 2026, the FAA has received 1,163 reports of unruly passengers.
    — Natassia Paloma, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of unruly
Adjective
  • But a 17-point win masked how off-kilter and sloppy the offense looked against the overmatched Huskies.
    — John Talty, Vanity Fair, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Vaughn Grissom drove in four runs, rookie Walbert Ureña pitched seven strong innings and the Los Angeles Angels ended a seven-game losing streak with a 10-1 victory over the sloppy New York Yankees on Monday night.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of sloppy

Phrases Containing disorderly

Browse Nearby Words

disorderliness
disorderly
disorderly house
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Cite this Entry

“Disorderly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disorderly. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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