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
Yes, the weather will bring chain controls, travel delays, and messy commutes.
—
James Ward, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
Next-gen stars such as Odessa A’zion, Connor Storrie, Chase Infiniti and more incited the beauty shift late last year, boasting their own messy mops on the red carpet and beyond.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 18 Feb. 2026
Even if technology capabilities continue to progress rapidly, the real world is messy and complicated.
—Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026
Vanderpump Rules features all the petty drama of Real Housewives with a messy cast of (very flawed) characters who make plenty of mistakes and get into more than their fair share of conflict.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for messy
James Ward, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
Next-gen stars such as Odessa A’zion, Connor Storrie, Chase Infiniti and more incited the beauty shift late last year, boasting their own messy mops on the red carpet and beyond.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 18 Feb. 2026
Even if technology capabilities continue to progress rapidly, the real world is messy and complicated.
—Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026
Vanderpump Rules features all the petty drama of Real Housewives with a messy cast of (very flawed) characters who make plenty of mistakes and get into more than their fair share of conflict.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for messy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for messy
Adjective
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As temperature rises, these vibrations intensify, creating a more chaotic, more resistant barrier that paradoxically hardens the metal’s surface against high-speed stress.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Feb. 2026
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While some of Griffin’s jokes may be a product of their time, My Life on the D-List is, all the same, a fascinating snapshot of early aughts celebrity culture in all its chaotic messiness.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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In a women’s semifinal, Slovak Marianna Jagercikova got snow stuck in the bindings of her ski boots, causing a sloppy transition, which ended her chances of advancing to the final.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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Drop shoulders and a high-low hemline keep the top relaxed, while the classic wide-leg pants offer pajama-like comfort without looking sloppy.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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If your kitchen is looking cluttered from a long winter of cooking comfort meals and baking over the holidays, the best way to prepare it for a spring deep clean is by tackling clutter in cabinets, on counters, and on pantry shelves to organize every surface.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
20 Feb. 2026
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Your counter space just got a little less cluttered.—
Jamie Weissman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Shoppers were confused and frustrated after finding out the shopping center was closed on a normally busy Friday.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Feb. 2026
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Would fans be confused if the persistent graphic displayed a call different than the one offered in real time by the still-very-much-there ump?—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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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
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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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The words sound like magnetic fridge poetry—jumbled and foreign in her mouth.—
Olivia Horn,
Pitchfork,
20 Feb. 2026
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Yet all this beauty ultimately does not save a jumbled narrative.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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So open to the skies, and filthy.—
Lesley Stahl,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
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This neighborhood, peopled almost entirely by the people who claim to have been driven from Poland and Russia, is the eyesore of New York and perhaps the filthiest place on the western continent.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Messy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messy. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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