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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in topsy-turvy
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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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
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Interviews for the statewide candidates are done now via questions from the entire convention, a potentially messier proposition.
-
More vehicles on the road means more potential for complex, multi-vehicle collisions and messier disputes over who caused what.
Adverb
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He was asked for his assessment of what’s been a topsy-turvy league this season.
-
Plus, an Aubry win was so dramatically satisfying after her topsy-turvy decade long run.
Adjective
-
By building circuits whose states naturally fluctuate with this environmental heat, thermodynamic computing turns an otherwise stochastic and chaotic feature of nature into an incredibly fast, ultra-low-energy calculator.
-
The combat that follows is intimate, chaotic, and bloody.
Adverb
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Inference runs 24/7, scales with your user base, spikes unpredictably and never ends.
-
Extreme heat can cause smoke to move unpredictably, reducing visibility and creating hazardous driving conditions.
Adjective
-
The shore now alternated between open sandy or rocky beaches and jumbled boulders ranging from a foot to many feet in diameter.
-
His fluid camera, observational without being intrusive, expertly delineates the safe space of Layla’s courtyard, shifting registers as things get darker until near the end, when jumbled night reinforces the tense uncertainty.
Adverb
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Martin Filler The Met’s new Tristan und Isolde was a vocal triumph for Lise Davidsen and Michael Spyres, but Yuval Sharon’s staging only fitfully captured the essence of Wagner’s masterpiece.
-
That’s Duncan’s dilemma from the very beginning of this fitfully hilarious episode of The Audacity.
Adjective
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In the past, her songs were so littered with personal details that listening felt voyeuristic.
-
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.
Adverb
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Rosana Rodriguez, 33rd, whose office is in contact with Martinez-Sifontes’ family, said Albany Park has recently seen fewer ICE encounters than during earlier phases of Operation Midway Blitz, but said enforcement activity still surfaces intermittently.
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They are only intermittently given distinguishing characteristics or classifications.
Cite this Entry
“Higgledy-piggledy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/higgledy-piggledy. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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