higgledy-piggledy 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of higgledy-piggledynext
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

higgledy-piggledy

2 of 2

adverb

as in topsy-turvy

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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
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
  1. messy
  2. topsy-turvy
  3. chaotic
  4. unpredictably
  5. jumbled
  6. fitfully
  7. littered
  8. intermittently
Adjective
  • Traditional approaches to studying cause-and-effect relationships are often not possible when investigating populations and ecosystems, which are large, complex and messy.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Too many items or mismatched pieces on open shelves and racks can make a room look disorganized and messy.
    — Jolie Kerr, Washington Post, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of messy
Adverb
  • Like Mahrez, Austria’s Marcel Sabitzer seemed slightly dazed following the topsy-turvy turn of events.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 28 June 2026
  • But thanks to Haiti’s determination to leave an entertaining mark on this tournament, and Morocco’s shocked need to respond, the crowd were treated to a topsy-turvy fiesta of football.
    — Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 26 June 2026
Definition of topsy-turvy
Adjective
  • More has been learned about the chaotic moments leading up to Friday's violent disruption at a Midtown synagogue.
    — Allen Devlin, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • In the five years since the chaotic US withdrawal from Kabul and the Taliban’s return to power, Afghanistan has become home to one of the world’s worst human rights and humanitarian emergencies.
    — Kara Fox, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of chaotic
Adverb
  • Youthful ambition bequeathed them unpredictably shifting time signatures, a daunting nylon-string intro, some odd musical shifts during the guitar-solo section, and a long list of other complexities.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Cloud spending, which grew unpredictably when the technology was new, can now be forecast using years of historical data.
    — Ameya Kanitkar, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of unpredictably
Adjective
  • Imagine a termite carving a path like a jumbled ball of string through a tree trunk, instead of an axe cleaving a single vector.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 12 Aug. 2026
  • This jumbled, makeshift archive reassured her about her own perceptions.
    — Fern Schumer Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of jumbled
Adverb
  • 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.
    — The New York Review of Books, The New York Review of Books, 23 May 2026
  • That’s Duncan’s dilemma from the very beginning of this fitfully hilarious episode of The Audacity.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 19 Apr. 2026
Definition of fitfully
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
Adverb
  • By contrast, talks on the war between Russia and Ukraine have been convened intermittently, in multiple locations, and not once with all the relevant actors (Kyiv, Moscow, Washington, and key European states) at the table.
    — Matt Waldman, Foreign Affairs, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Then, winter returned for a brief April interlude, to be followed by an intermittently toasty and foggy May.
    — Laura Ness, Mercury News, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of intermittently

Browse Nearby Words

hies
higgledy-piggledy
high
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“Higgledy-piggledy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/higgledy-piggledy. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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