as in chaotic
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness
having a messy room is virtually de rigueur for a college student
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of messy
An impulsive night leads to a wild threesome between Olivia (Zoey Deutch), Connor (Jonah Hauer-King) and Jenny (Ruby Cruz), leaving the two women facing unexpected consequences and thrusting all three into the raw and beautifully messy chaos of adulthood.
—
Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
What does political action mean, in this messy place of obligation, representation, celebrity, and love?
—Eliana Ramage
september 4, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
Get the recipe > This seafood boil turns a simple meal into a celebration, with loads of spices, flavorful shrimp, crawfish, and sweet corn coming together in a fragrant, comforting, and slightly messy hands-on feast.
—Saveur Editors, Saveur, 4 Sep. 2025
Adrianne Lenker, Buck Meek, and James Krivchenia talk about how staying messy and honest is the only path forward.
—Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for messy
Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
What does political action mean, in this messy place of obligation, representation, celebrity, and love?
—Eliana Ramage
september 4, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
Get the recipe > This seafood boil turns a simple meal into a celebration, with loads of spices, flavorful shrimp, crawfish, and sweet corn coming together in a fragrant, comforting, and slightly messy hands-on feast.
—Saveur Editors, Saveur, 4 Sep. 2025
Adrianne Lenker, Buck Meek, and James Krivchenia talk about how staying messy and honest is the only path forward.
—Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for messy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for messy
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
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According to Amazon reviews, the material is soft with just the right amount of stretch, while the fit is roomy without looking sloppy.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Sep. 2025
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In that high‑tempo, but sloppy matchup, the Wildcats fell 46‑24, with Mari Adams, a top running back, contributing heavily on the ground and showing flashes of explosive play.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Through a succession of job changes, a don’t-open-the-mail approach to bill paying, abrupt moves to and from a string of increasingly cluttered abodes, Uhle recounts with humor and remarkable detail the unstable circumstances of her youth.—
Kristen Kidd,
Denver Post,
30 Aug. 2025
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In May 2012, the site was cluttered with tractors and rusting farm equipment.—
Daniel Lempres,
Sacbee.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
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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
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Cigarette butts are the most littered item on the planet.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Away from a filthy Superdome and Convention Center where they had been holed up for days.—
Suzette Hackney,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
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Alexander pulled out a baby-blue melodica to lay down a filthy ska rhythm for his band.—
Hannah Edgar,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Messy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messy. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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