1
as in tidy
being clean and in good order
keep the kitchen neat so the cook doesn't have to work around piles of dirty dishes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pure
free from added matter
I like my soda neat, so skip the ice cubes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in wonderful
of the very best kind
that new skateboard park is neat
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in organized
following a set method, arrangement, or pattern
regime change is rarely a neat process, particularly in a country where a coup d'état is more likely to occur than an election
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of neat
Star reporters found that the front door was locked, the silverware was wrapped into neat napkins and workers in the restaurant next door had no clue law enforcement had been in the area.
—
Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2025
Order a bourbon neat, an old fashioned or whatever Monnik Beer Co. offering might be on tap.
—Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 30 July 2025
Sean's going to give you the set-up on Cboe stock, which has been moving in a tightly wound, neat little uptrend all summer long.
—Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 24 July 2025
That last one is especially neat, considering that phone keyboard typing averages at about 36 words a minute.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for neat
Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2025
Order a bourbon neat, an old fashioned or whatever Monnik Beer Co. offering might be on tap.
—Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 30 July 2025
Sean's going to give you the set-up on Cboe stock, which has been moving in a tightly wound, neat little uptrend all summer long.
—Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 24 July 2025
That last one is especially neat, considering that phone keyboard typing averages at about 36 words a minute.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for neat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for neat
Adjective
-
The unconventional choice hints at the director’s disinterest in a tidy search-and-rescue, and the relief that comes with it.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
15 Aug. 2025
-
This one puts a twist on the traditional roll-up style and instead folds into a tidy, stackable rectangle when not in use.—
Sara Coughlin,
SELF,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The shot was clean with a bold recovery, just like a pure Mickelson moment.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Aug. 2025
-
Adeleye was outclassed from a pure boxing standpoint, but his heart was on display.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Caring, smart and fun with a wonderful calming Zen demeanor.—
Lauren Huff Published,
EW.com,
8 Aug. 2025
-
Preserving history is wonderful, but so is safety. — Mary Ellen Stepowany, Baltimore Add your voice: Respond to this piece or other Sun content by submitting your own letter.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
These returns are only possible when AI has access to clean, organized and high-quality data.—
Sean Nathaniel,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
There are other signs of the children, who range in age from 8 to 14, but the common spaces are well organized and tidy, with the smallest hint of mess being a line of shoes at the front door.—
Kayla Levy,
Curbed,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Don’t forget that there’s more to the Core Collection than the two new styles and three fresh colorways.—
Katie Decker-Jacoby,
StyleCaster,
12 Aug. 2025
-
Edelstein will direct the fresh take, which was commissioned by the Globe and adapted by veteran playwright and screenwriter Erin Cressida Wilson, whose long list of feature film credits includes Secretary, Men, Women & Children, The Girl on the Train, Chloe and Snow White.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
And its large, thin leaves do provide excellent material to us as mulch or in a compost pile.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
16 Aug. 2025
-
From there, Young tossed an accurate ball to Sanders for a would-be first down and it was dropped by the second-year tight end, who has put together an otherwise excellent camp.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Responding to the shah’s paranoia about Americans wanting to undermine him, the U.S. simply stopped tracking systematic opposition to his rule.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
5 Aug. 2025
-
This is thanks to systematic work under EU rules which has steadily improved the health of our waters.—
Katie Nadworny,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Dončić appears on a new cover of Men’s Health magazine, looking trim.—
Alex Kirshner,
New York Times,
30 July 2025
-
Several precious feet of space in the restaurant’s trim open kitchen are dedicated to a volcanically hot charcoal grill, to properly impart the smoke and char that give the sweetness of so many dishes a dimensional, toffee-like edge.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
20 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Neat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/neat. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share