1
as in messy
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness
a hugger-mugger presentation of the facts of the case that left everyone confused
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clandestine
undertaken or done so as to escape being observed or known by others
a tale of hugger-mugger doings and international espionage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hugger-mugger
Adjective
-
Notably, over the next three days — through a hot but noisy producer price index reading and a messy University of Michigan consumer-sentiment survey — the benchmark treated Tuesday’s closing level just under 6,450 as a floor, testing it repeatedly and finishing the week right on it.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
16 Aug. 2025 -
When you’re finished, the self-cleaning cycle rinses the brush roll and interior for easy maintenance, saving you from messy cleanup.—
Toni Sutton,
People.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Party leaders could reveal what their rivals were cooking up and reporters could penetrate clandestine deal-making through sources.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Nic Carter, a crypto venture capitalist, then coined the term Operation Choke Point 2.0, referring to an Obama administration clandestine operation to debank undesirable industries including firearms dealers and payday lenders in the early 2010s.—
Billy Bambrough,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
That's according to a TikTok Godwin posted from the somewhat chaotic marg-making experience.—
Hannah Kirby,
jsonline.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
His meetings are chaotic and keeps insulting the staff ...—
Niraj Warikoo,
Freep.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Fox News reported that staff at both Vanderbilt and the University of Tennessee were caught on undercover recordings describing deliberate strategies to rebrand to sidestep the bans against DEI.—
Jordan Green,
Nashville Tennessean,
1 Aug. 2025
-
He’s been a presidential candidate, congressman, and undercover CIA officer.—
Allie Garfinkle,
Fortune,
31 July 2025
Adjective
-
In it, deaf canteen employee Alison Brooks (Rose Ayling-Ellis) lands an under-the-table gig as a covert lip reader for the police and finagles her way into the apex of an upcoming heist operation.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
1 Aug. 2025
-
Reports have long suggested that Iran has increasingly engaged in covert malign behavior to target foreign citizens.—
Caitlin McFall,
FOXNews.com,
31 July 2025
Adjective
-
Williams was downright filthy from May 7 through the end of June, posting a 1.45 ERA.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
5 Aug. 2025
-
The kitten was in a sad condition: overheated, wounded, filthy, and covered in fleas and feces.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 July 2025
Adjective
-
The average build-out cost per mile of fiber for internet service per mile can run as high as $80,000 for underground cable & $40,000 for aerial cable.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
14 Aug. 2025
-
Members of the Edinburg Fire Department rescue a man trapped in an underground septic tank on a rural property in Texas.—
Daniel Orton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The foundations raise private money from students’ families and other donors to fill in gaps in programming, supplies and other needs at schools that aren’t covered by state funding.—
Kristen Taketa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Aug. 2025
-
Much of the Dodgers’ messaging this spring with Sasaki focused on allowing the private young star to take his time adapting and learning his surroundings before implementing any changes.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
6 Aug. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Hugger-mugger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hugger-mugger. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share