as in messy
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness
the quilt was a higgledy-piggledy patchwork of odd-shaped fabric scraps, each of which held a fond memory for the family
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in topsy-turvy
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Recent Examples of higgledy-piggledy
Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 16 Mar. 2026
The grid breaks down in Lower Manhattan and the streets begin to look higgledy-piggledy and more challenging to navigate.
—Literary Hub, 14 Nov. 2025
Renovating and expanding the higgledy-piggledy building—a monumental project that finally will welcome guests in February—will usher in the next chapter in the château’s story.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 18 Oct. 2025
Death to Order reads like an anti-thriller—this despite its international ambit and the corpses of prominent statesmen strewn higgledy-piggledy across its pages.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025
Elsbeth volunteers to stay at his schmancy, higgledy-piggledy Asian-fusion wellness center to continue the investigation.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2025
The oft wild, higgledy-piggledy marketing of so many strains, preparations and products has lead to an erosion of meaning for the customer base.
—Jahan Marcu, Rolling Stone, 29 Jan. 2025
Instead of obsessing over the latest higgledy-piggledy, do something useful.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2024
Adverb
Although the bowls are often artfully arranged, this version is casual, with steamed vegetables added atop the rice in a higgledy-piggledy array.
—Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 16 Mar. 2026
The grid breaks down in Lower Manhattan and the streets begin to look higgledy-piggledy and more challenging to navigate.
—Literary Hub, 14 Nov. 2025
Renovating and expanding the higgledy-piggledy building—a monumental project that finally will welcome guests in February—will usher in the next chapter in the château’s story.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 18 Oct. 2025
Death to Order reads like an anti-thriller—this despite its international ambit and the corpses of prominent statesmen strewn higgledy-piggledy across its pages.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025
Elsbeth volunteers to stay at his schmancy, higgledy-piggledy Asian-fusion wellness center to continue the investigation.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2025
The oft wild, higgledy-piggledy marketing of so many strains, preparations and products has lead to an erosion of meaning for the customer base.
—Jahan Marcu, Rolling Stone, 29 Jan. 2025
Instead of obsessing over the latest higgledy-piggledy, do something useful.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for higgledy-piggledy
Adjective
-
Pfizer outbid Novo Nordisk for Metsera in a messy M&A fight last year that involved dueling lawsuits and anticompetitive claims.—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
7 May 2026
-
While mixtures of two or three metals were messy and unstable, the five-metal combination paradoxically self-organized into a single, uniform product, streamlining 31 possible chemical outcomes into a single, precise nanocrystal.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
7 May 2026
Adverb
-
Providence and Lincoln-Way West move up, while Sandburg enters topsy-turvy rankings.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Top defenseman Jackson LaCombe – more on him in a moment – said that the Ducks’ topsy-turvy 2025-26, which included two seven-game winning streaks but two ice-cold stretches as well, taught them how to adapt.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The chaotic family life was cited when Cary Stayner pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the tourists’ murders; he was found mentally fit to stand trial.—
Bay Area News Group,
Mercury News,
4 May 2026
-
The start turned chaotic in seconds when Verstappen, who along with Leclerc almost immediately passed Antonelli, proceeded to completely pirouette, recovering but quickly finding himself in ninth.—
Viju Mathew,
Robb Report,
4 May 2026
Adverb
-
During perimenopause, levels of estrogen and progesterone fluctuate unpredictably and gradually decline.—
Cathy Nelson,
Health,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Although flu seasons can vary in disease severity, the virus mutates so unpredictably that pandemic flu seasons – like those in 1918, 1957, 1968 and 2009 – are a recurring possibility.—
Katrine L. Wallace,
The Conversation,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Tidy Food Storage Containers The same can be said for the food storage containers that can easily become a jumbled mess in the cabinet.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The 49ers’ defensive depth chart isn’t as jumbled after this draft as last year’s, and more impact players could arrive before training camp or the season opener in Australia.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
29 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
That’s Duncan’s dilemma from the very beginning of this fitfully hilarious episode of The Audacity.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
19 Apr. 2026
-
The filmmaker shows a strong handle over the film’s fanciful tone and fitfully filthy sense of humor, and he’s credited with composing the film’s score full of squawking brass instruments and skittish strings in addition to writing, directing and editing.—
Stephen Saito,
Variety,
16 Mar. 2026
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
Adverb
-
Traffic will be paused intermittently along FM 1709 between Randol Mill/Davis Boulevard and Peytonville.—
Fousia Abdullahi,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 May 2026
-
During the nearly two decades since that meeting with carpet executives in 2008, Georgia regulators intermittently tested the waters south of Dalton, confirming time and again the extensive contamination.—
DYLAN JACKSON,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Higgledy-piggledy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/higgledy-piggledy. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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