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
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
This realization initiated a generations-long mission in humanity to, like plants, disintermediate ourselves from the messiness and immorality of food chains, farming, and carnivorism.
—Big Think, 22 Apr. 2026
Just like trying to drive around while spreading ketchup on a carton of French fries, the brand’s origin story is not without its messiness.
—Amanda Hancock, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
The literal messiness of the lotion, combined with the chaos of the interaction between Black and McCarthy’s characters, took me back to the nostalgia of watching SNL in high school.
—Rima Parikh, Vulture, 5 Apr. 2026
Despite the messiness of her subject matter, Parks can sound very studied.
—Aimee Cliff, Pitchfork, 3 Apr. 2026
But the messiness has been almost charming to me — even the biggest boy band in the world can’t control everything!
—Christopher Claxton, Billboard, 31 Mar. 2026
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
This realization initiated a generations-long mission in humanity to, like plants, disintermediate ourselves from the messiness and immorality of food chains, farming, and carnivorism.
—Big Think, 22 Apr. 2026
Just like trying to drive around while spreading ketchup on a carton of French fries, the brand’s origin story is not without its messiness.
—Amanda Hancock, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
The literal messiness of the lotion, combined with the chaos of the interaction between Black and McCarthy’s characters, took me back to the nostalgia of watching SNL in high school.
—Rima Parikh, Vulture, 5 Apr. 2026
Despite the messiness of her subject matter, Parks can sound very studied.
—Aimee Cliff, Pitchfork, 3 Apr. 2026
But the messiness has been almost charming to me — even the biggest boy band in the world can’t control everything!
—Christopher Claxton, Billboard, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for messiness
Noun
-
Becerra blunder The first ad that grabbed my attention was a quick-turn by San José Mayor and gubernatorial candidate Matt Mahan (still stuck in single-digit polling numbers), who jumped on Xavier Becerra’s first major mess-up.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
-
That way, the bristles can cling to your skincare products instead of dripping into the brush’s base and making a mess.—
Katie Decker-Jacoby,
StyleCaster,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Davis’ ability to reflect and respond with his pithy probing of the disagreeing chord turned chaos into something cogent.—
Steven D. Reske,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
-
For me, that experience gap makes Supah Hot Fire the betting man’s pick, but on a card like this, the only safe prediction is chaos.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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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The bad weather has wreaked havoc on the rest of the on-track schedule — postponing the Truck Series race and canceling aspects of the O’Reilly schedule weekend.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
23 May 2026
-
The Deland defense was led by Banks, who had three sacks in the game and made numerous tackles, wreaking havoc all night.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 May 2026
Noun
-
Constant changes and slow IRS guidance led to widespread confusion and, eventually, abuse that forced the IRS to put a moratorium on claims on September 14, 2023 until August 8, 2024.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
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So there’s little doubt that the emergence of jumbo-size Messi’s across America’s lawns create more intrigue than confusion, even in a nation where soccer as a whole remains a second-tier sport.—
Ian Nicholas Quillen,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
All hell is unleashed as the aliens representing all kinds of shapes and class divisions from that planet square off with the locals.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
18 May 2026
-
Suddenly, all hell broke loose.—
Sebastian Smee,
The Atlantic,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Messiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messiness. Accessed 25 May. 2026.
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