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
But that messy history cannot detract from the courage and impact of Barbara Johns.
—
Jonathan Entin, The Conversation, 2 Apr. 2026
Additional clipper-like systems may follow later this week, keeping the northern Plains cold and occasionally messy with more snow and wintry precipitation.
—Brandi D. Addison, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 1 Apr. 2026
A couple of rounds of messy weather, including rain, slush, ice and snow, are set to hit Minnesota in the coming days.
—Joseph Dames, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026
Bravo's latest love triangle is especially messy.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for messy
Jonathan Entin, The Conversation, 2 Apr. 2026
Additional clipper-like systems may follow later this week, keeping the northern Plains cold and occasionally messy with more snow and wintry precipitation.
—Brandi D. Addison, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 1 Apr. 2026
A couple of rounds of messy weather, including rain, slush, ice and snow, are set to hit Minnesota in the coming days.
—Joseph Dames, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026
Bravo's latest love triangle is especially messy.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for messy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for messy
Adjective
-
The fan disappointment was echoed in the community dedicated to Barbie on Reddit, where many called out the organizers for such a chaotic event.—
Rebecca Cohen,
NBC news,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The footage captures a chaotic moment many pet owners recognize instantly—when curiosity tips over into trouble.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
This team is inconsistent, sloppy and soft.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Just six of those came in the second half and the Bruins took better care of the ball while running their offense more efficiently, but sloppy play and frustration have flared up despite the Bruins’ veteran leadership.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The breakthrough by a team at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) mimics how bats rely on simple echolocation to move through dark, cluttered environments with minimal neural processing.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Mar. 2026
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His front yard became cluttered with a living room’s worth of patio furniture, bar stools, storage containers, a cord of firewood and a fire pit.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
When the director approached Hanks directly, the actor was confused.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
-
After catching confused glances all through Venice, traversing neighborhoods and winding along Abbott Kinney, the group landed at the home of Matt Ricotta.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
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
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Cigarette butts are the most littered item on the planet.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
But Buffon protested that a system of tidy categories based upon a single criterion belied the lush and jumbled profusion of nature.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Space Marines are attempting to reclaim Kronus from the filthy xenos on the planet, leading a heroic charge into a massive Ork army as the Necrons rise again.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
29 Mar. 2026
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The woman was taken to the Fort Worth jail, by then best described as an old, filthy, rat-infested hole in the basement of city hall.—
Kevin Foster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Messy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messy. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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