as in mess
a state in which everything is out of order
a professional chef would not tolerate such messiness in the kitchen
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Recent Examples of messiness
Human relationships are also messy, and that messiness helps kids learn about themselves and the world.
—
Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 12 June 2026
Taking a little break from the messiness of life doesn’t hurt either — and, frankly, there’s something quite funny about a real live Deutschlander visiting the bizarre-o Alpine world that is Helen.
—Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 10 June 2026
Disclosure Day can be messy, but much of its beauty lies in that messiness.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 9 June 2026
Its messiness allowed for sparkling instances of pure talent to emerge from its cast.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 2 June 2026
Despite the messiness of the in-person, one-to-one, low tech services, the EDD Job Service counselors and staff of the time often talk with fondness about the culture that grew out of these local services.
—Michael Bernick, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
The messiness of a 13-year scientific undertaking, the back-channel negotiations, the philosophical disagreements, the institutional maneuvering — none of that fits neatly into an obituary.
—Zachary Utz, STAT, 15 May 2026
But the image of the jovial professor, divorced from the messiness of the politics of the day after his own resignation in a COVID-era scandal in 2022, didn’t quite square with the reality of his time in Miami.
—Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 26 Apr. 2026
But that messiness is how students learn.
—Shelley Mitchell, The Conversation, 23 Apr. 2026
Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 12 June 2026
Taking a little break from the messiness of life doesn’t hurt either — and, frankly, there’s something quite funny about a real live Deutschlander visiting the bizarre-o Alpine world that is Helen.
—Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 10 June 2026
Disclosure Day can be messy, but much of its beauty lies in that messiness.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 9 June 2026
Its messiness allowed for sparkling instances of pure talent to emerge from its cast.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 2 June 2026
Despite the messiness of the in-person, one-to-one, low tech services, the EDD Job Service counselors and staff of the time often talk with fondness about the culture that grew out of these local services.
—Michael Bernick, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
The messiness of a 13-year scientific undertaking, the back-channel negotiations, the philosophical disagreements, the institutional maneuvering — none of that fits neatly into an obituary.
—Zachary Utz, STAT, 15 May 2026
But the image of the jovial professor, divorced from the messiness of the politics of the day after his own resignation in a COVID-era scandal in 2022, didn’t quite square with the reality of his time in Miami.
—Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 26 Apr. 2026
But that messiness is how students learn.
—Shelley Mitchell, The Conversation, 23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for messiness
Noun
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Trim overhanging limbs and relocate furniture to avoid popular bird perches that drop messes onto your patio.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
11 June 2026
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Three people are dead and she, a completely innocent party in this whole mess, is left holding the check.—
Josh Weiss,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Noun
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Metal barricades surrounded Madison Square Garden and police checkpoints were up around Penn Station as city officials scrambled to prevent a repeat of Wednesday night’s chaos, when dozens of fans were taken into custody after the Knicks’ historic comeback.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
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The couple, now preparing to welcome their first baby, are excited to see how the space will soften further, adapting to tiny feet and a little more chaos.—
Aditi Sharma,
Architectural Digest,
13 June 2026
Noun
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Arches and natural bridges sweep like buttresses from jumbles of rock, giving this landscape a mystical, cathedral-like quality.—
Madison Chapman,
Outside,
25 Mar. 2026
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Macaroons are chewy jumbles of coconut bound together with egg whites and sweetened condensed milk.—
Lynda Balslev,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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El Niño can also wreak havoc on the many marine ecosystems that support the world’s fishing industries, including coral reefs and seagrass meadows.—
Dillon Amaya,
The Conversation,
12 June 2026
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From stunting and weakening plant growth to delaying flower production, these 1/10th-inch-long pests can wreak havoc.—
Abby Monteil,
The Spruce,
12 June 2026
Noun
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Last year, Kennedy’s ACIP didn’t issue a guidance on COVID vaccines until September, then softened the recommendations for their use, sowing confusion as pharmacies, doctors’ offices, and patients tried to figure out who was eligible for the shots and whether insurers would pay.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
7 June 2026
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Lost in the Brazilian tears, anguish and confusion was just how clinical the Germans had been.—
Will Jeanes,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
Noun
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For him and for a lot of artists and writers, seeing people experience your work in person—like being at a gallery opening with your own work on the walls and people spilling wine on it—is a kind of hell on earth.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
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The Miami duo’s electrifying, boundary-bending combination of Haitian kompa, underground rap, reggaeton, electro-pop, and baile funk is loud as hell and rich in egalitarian spirit.—
Olivier Lafontant,
Pitchfork,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Messiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messiness. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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