hugger-mugger

adjective

Definition of hugger-muggernext
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

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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
  1. messy
  2. clandestine
  3. chaotic
  4. undercover
  5. sloppy
  6. covert
  7. littered
  8. underground
Adjective
  • Where there might be a nugget of truth (water-holding, adhesion, seed spacing), there are simpler, proven, and less messy alternatives.
    — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The game commenced with four unanswered scores from Jenks and sloppy play from Southlake Carroll that included a handful of early penalties, messy substitutions and a lack of rhythm.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of messy
Adjective
  • The clandestine manner in which LG monitors were installing ad-pushing software onto third-party devices, however, remains seriously concerning.
    — Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The clandestine transits have changed the game for the Middle Eastern oil industry.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of clandestine
Adjective
  • To cap the most chaotic week of his managerial career, Joe Espada celebrated his 51st birthday on Sunday.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Today marks five years since the chaotic, deadly ending of America's nearly 20-year war in Afghanistan.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of chaotic
Adjective
  • According to government documents, an undercover DHS agent attended a meeting of ICE protesters at Prince of Peace in February.
    — Meg Anderson, NPR, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Starring Steve Coogan, Legends chronicles the lives of undercover British customs investigators.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of undercover
Adjective
  • There was a celebration of what Daniels can do at any point, which is to cover up inconsistency and sloppy execution by others with his extraordinary talent.
    — Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The Chargers looked sloppy in their 41-17 home loss to the San Francisco 49ers last week, following an inspiring 27-7 road win over the Houston Texans, and now aim for a better on-field product in their final tuneup.
    — Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of sloppy
Adjective
  • Psyops can be overt or covert, but they’re designed with a clear objective, said Jan Goldman, a professor of intelligence and security studies at The Citadel who has also worked on psyops.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
  • In a recent presentation, OpenAI researchers described how AI agents used a covert message board to plan their next moves.
    — Alex Heath, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of covert
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
Adjective
  • Deep underground salt behaves like a slow-moving plastic under the weight of the earth (salt creep).
    — Siddharth Misra, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The Large Hadron Collider at CERN, the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator, was powered up in an underground tunnel near Geneva, Switzerland.
    — USA Today, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of underground
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.

Browse Nearby Words

hugged
hugger-mugger
hugging
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Cite this Entry

“Hugger-mugger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hugger-mugger. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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