as in to trim
to make neat
neatened the living room in anticipation of company
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Recent Examples of neaten
For instance, your hedges may need regular trims to clean up and neaten their appearance and keep a consistent straight side.
—
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 22 Feb. 2026
Several people milled around, neatening the area, touching up Cage’s makeup.
—Susan Orlean, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2025
To neaten up the drawer, use clear or white plastic magazine or file holders nestled side by side to hold boxes and packages of frozen foods.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 23 June 2025
Use a curl-specific hair gel to neaten and smooth each side, applying a small amount down each section to be twisted.
—Dory Zayas, Parents, 26 July 2024
Fringes usually require neatening up every two to three weeks, and helpfully, many hairdressers offer free fringe trims in between salon visits.
—Jacqueline Kilikita, refinery29.com, 31 May 2024
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 22 Feb. 2026
Several people milled around, neatening the area, touching up Cage’s makeup.
—Susan Orlean, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2025
To neaten up the drawer, use clear or white plastic magazine or file holders nestled side by side to hold boxes and packages of frozen foods.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 23 June 2025
Use a curl-specific hair gel to neaten and smooth each side, applying a small amount down each section to be twisted.
—Dory Zayas, Parents, 26 July 2024
Fringes usually require neatening up every two to three weeks, and helpfully, many hairdressers offer free fringe trims in between salon visits.
—Jacqueline Kilikita, refinery29.com, 31 May 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for neaten
Verb
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In 2018, seventeen-year-old landscaper Alex Childress was rushed to the hospital with third-degree burns on his face after unknowingly trimming giant hogweed.—
Natalie Krebs,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
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As the Labubu frenzy fades, HSBC last month trimmed its revenue growth forecast for Pop Mart this year from around 30% to under 24%, and expects a 11% to 13% cut in 2026-2027 earnings.—
Elaine Yu,
CNBC,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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There will be five protests organized inside the perimeter of I-285 in Atlanta on Saturday.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
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An agent named Gaskell — powered by OpenClaw and Anthropic’s API — emailed me Monday about a tech networking event organized by a team of seven agents, overseen by three humans.—
Rachyl Jones,
semafor.com,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The academy had been looking for a venue that offered greater control over how the show is staged, including how the audience is arranged and how the room is used for both the broadcast and the live event.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
26 Mar. 2026
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Trump administration officials are working to arrange a meeting in Pakistan this weekend to discuss an off-ramp to the war in Iran, two senior administration officials told CNN.—
Mustafa Qadri,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Neaten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/neaten. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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