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
The controversy, which has led some fans to submit complaints or consider legal action, stems in part from FIFA’s messy mixing of its typical ticketing strategy with its desire to capitalize on the North American market.
—
Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
The tempers are still short, and the feelings are still messy in this four-part revival, streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ April 10, 2026.
—Allison McClain Merrill, Parents, 8 Apr. 2026
As a result, an already messy situation took a new turn.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2026
That matters because real homes are messy and unpredictable.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for messy
Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
The tempers are still short, and the feelings are still messy in this four-part revival, streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ April 10, 2026.
—Allison McClain Merrill, Parents, 8 Apr. 2026
As a result, an already messy situation took a new turn.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2026
That matters because real homes are messy and unpredictable.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for messy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for messy
Adjective
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While some show up just to hang out, officials say these events are increasingly turning chaotic with fights, property damage, and in some cases arrests.—
Kaley Fedko,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Magnus ran a hand through his disheveled mane of auburn hair, a chaotic halo framing his disbelief.—
Ben Mezrich,
Vanity Fair,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Nico Hoerner hit a leadoff homer and then delivered an RBI double during a five-run fifth inning as the Chicago Cubs beat the sloppy Tampa Bay Rays 6-2 on Wednesday night at Tropicana Field.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
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Still, plushy, squelchy chairs don’t have to look sloppy either.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Down where the Pigeons toiled, two-foot piles of garbage cluttered blocks lined with storage-unit facilities, budget hotels, abandoned RVs and parking lots sealed with rusted razor wire.—
TIM CRAIG THE WASHINGTON POST,
Arkansas Online,
5 Apr. 2026
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One woman was paying $600 per month to live in a storage shed in the muddy backyard cluttered with junk and dotted with dog poop.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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With all those numbers flying around, Americans might be understandably confused about when, exactly, they are expected to retire.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
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Despite the convenience of the one-stop concept, the process is so convoluted that some left frustrated and confused.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In the past, her songs were so littered with personal details that listening felt voyeuristic.—
Madison Bloom,
Pitchfork,
31 Mar. 2026
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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
Adjective
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The musical, which examines in jumbled chronology the five-year relationship between novelist Jamie and actress Cathy, debuted in Chicago in 2001 and opened off Broadway the following year.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
4 Apr. 2026
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Initially intriguing, the jumbled chronology eventually proves to be largely decorative until a disappointing late-reel twist explains why the labored device was deployed in the first place.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Kilitch Healthcare had serious quality lapses, in which the facility was filthy, employees were barefoot on the manufacturing floor and the company fraudulently passed products that failed sterility tests.—
C. Michael White,
The Conversation,
7 Apr. 2026
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Common areas are often filthy, and increasingly populated by drug users.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Messy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messy. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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