as in tidy
being clean and in good order
a distinguished-looking gentleman with a kempt beard and an old-world manner
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Recent Examples of kempt
The creeping ivy of rap had crawled over their white picket fences, across their kempt green lawns, and around their Victorian homes, weakening the old walls between cultures.
—
Jonathan Rowe, SPIN, 5 June 2023
The whole place is well kempt.
—Amanda Walker, al, 15 Aug. 2020
Silence your internal neat freak A well-kempt garden is the toad’s worst enemy.
—Molly Marquand, Good Housekeeping, 16 May 2017
There was a whiff of mystery, a sense that something more was going on behind those well-kempt exteriors.
—Aaron Gilbreath, Longreads, 9 Feb. 2018
A well-kempt courtyard for visitors conceals the prison’s overcrowding—stuffed to nine times its capacity with up to 250 women sharing a cell.
—National Geographic, 19 Oct. 2016
Jonathan Rowe, SPIN, 5 June 2023
The whole place is well kempt.
—Amanda Walker, al, 15 Aug. 2020
Silence your internal neat freak A well-kempt garden is the toad’s worst enemy.
—Molly Marquand, Good Housekeeping, 16 May 2017
There was a whiff of mystery, a sense that something more was going on behind those well-kempt exteriors.
—Aaron Gilbreath, Longreads, 9 Feb. 2018
A well-kempt courtyard for visitors conceals the prison’s overcrowding—stuffed to nine times its capacity with up to 250 women sharing a cell.
—National Geographic, 19 Oct. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kempt
Adjective
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What’s something about the culture or food that still resists translation — something that doesn’t quite fit into a tidy tour explanation?—
David Hochman,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
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Initially, the job seems straightforward — embalming bodies, completing paperwork, and keeping things tidy.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Folk Painting Many cultures have a folk painting tradition used to embellish furniture, cabinets, trim, and more.—
Abby Wolner,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 Apr. 2025
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Compared to the current model, which has EPA ratings of 227 miles, depending on trim level, that is a significant improvement, and one that could potentially draw customers into showrooms.—
Peter Lyon,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Over the next two hours, jeweler and collector pored over nearly 40 pieces, separating them into neat piles.—
Andrea Chang,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Apr. 2025
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They can be enjoyed sipped neat or poured over ice.—
Irene S. Levine,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kempt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kempt. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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