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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in topsy-turvy
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 higgledy-piggledy
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
Go local in Tokyo Courtesy of Trunk Hotels Hidden in the higgledy-piggledy lanes of Tokyo’s Kagurazaka district (also known as ‘Little Kyoto’), Trunk(House) helps its guests experience the city in a way few other hotels can.
—Chris Schalkx, Vogue, 4 Oct. 2023
Adjective
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
Go local in Tokyo Courtesy of Trunk Hotels Hidden in the higgledy-piggledy lanes of Tokyo’s Kagurazaka district (also known as ‘Little Kyoto’), Trunk(House) helps its guests experience the city in a way few other hotels can.
—Chris Schalkx, Vogue, 4 Oct. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for higgledy-piggledy
Adjective
-
Depending on how things shake out in court, representation could get messy for west Charlotte’s City Council District 3.—
Nick Sullivan,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Sep. 2025
-
And that the wig was messy, but cute.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
6 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
This map would turn topsy-turvy if MLB chose Austin or Mexico City as expansion cities — or chose no expansion cities out west, and two in the east.—
Stephen J. Nesbitt,
New York Times,
19 Aug. 2025
-
The Boston Celtics have certainly had a topsy-turvy offseason, as they have been forced to part ways with numerous key pieces from their 2024 championship team due to financial constraints.—
Matthew Schmidt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Aug. 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
Adverb
-
Outside the Jeoffry section, the poem celebrates goats, wine, the King of Sardinia, the Postmaster General, and on and unpredictably on, compiling one of the more eccentric inventories of creation.—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
6 Sep. 2025
-
The pilots demonstrate CyRo’s capability in scenarios, highlighting its advantages, such as assembly on moving platforms where parts arrive unpredictably, handling transparent and reflective components, and adapting to new geometries without reprogramming.—
Tejasri Gururaj,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
But a patchwork of injunctions that have yet to reach the justices remain in place, creating a jumbled situation that keeps reductions at specific agencies on ice.—
Rebecca Beitsch,
The Hill,
9 July 2025
Adjective
-
Cigarette butts are the most littered item on the planet.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Adverb
-
Mating season is February to April, and females will lay one or two eggs per day intermittently during that period.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Sep. 2025
-
For some, the pause is only temporary because their Starlink dish is used intermittently for RV or camping trips.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
While his wife and daughter build a new life in Vienna, Roman stays behind — confused, restless and convinced that things will get better.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
-
With nearby MPs training their guns on her, Ziva laid down her weapon and sprawled across the blacktop, looking up at a confused Tali.—
Matt Webb Mitovich,
TVLine,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Higgledy-piggledy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/higgledy-piggledy. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share