as in chaotic
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness
the office is still topsy-turvy even though we moved in months ago
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in haphazard
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 topsy-turvy
Quentin Corpuel, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2025
Premier League Recap Day 1 Observations Chicago got the weekend started with a topsy-turvy DreamBreaker win over Atlanta, regaining momentum after an 11-0 Mixed loss.
—Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 7 Sep. 2025
The documentary, a small-town cyberbullying case that resulted in an FBI investigation, tells the topsy-turvy story in a way that leaves you questioning almost every person involved.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for topsy-turvy
Adjective
Missouri’s kicking game Arguably no MU starter had a more topsy-turvy season than Craig, whose redshirt-freshman campaign could be looked at in two ways.
—Quentin Corpuel, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2025
Premier League Recap Day 1 Observations Chicago got the weekend started with a topsy-turvy DreamBreaker win over Atlanta, regaining momentum after an 11-0 Mixed loss.
—Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
Adverb
Observer writers predict Carolina Panthers season opener Fowler and Zietlow split last year’s predictor title, which was pretty incredible considering how topsy-turvy last year was and how differently their predictions went week to week.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 7 Sep. 2025
The documentary, a small-town cyberbullying case that resulted in an FBI investigation, tells the topsy-turvy story in a way that leaves you questioning almost every person involved.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for topsy-turvy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for topsy-turvy
Adjective
-
San Diego’s chaotic shift in city trash service has begun to stabilize, with more customers signing up for new bins and more of the roughly 19,000 property owners who lost city service managing to strike deals with private haulers.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Her other grands live full, busy and chaotic lives.—
Abigail Van Buren,
Boston Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Tallying the number of Americans detained by immigration agents is inherently messy and incomplete.—
Nicole Foy,
ProPublica,
18 Oct. 2025
-
If a mess does happen, clean up spills or messy bakes early so that grime and grease don’t build up.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
18 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Instead of haphazardly stuffing them into your nightstand drawer, place them in a whimsical Hay tin container.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Lots of fly-by-night import shops sprang up, happy to rubber-stamp any Mercedes with a catalytic converter haphazardly welded under the floorboards.—
Raphael Orlove,
Robb Report,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Officers were apparently confused.—
Aida Alami,
New Yorker,
17 Oct. 2025
-
One of the artists looked at me a little confused.—
Mankaprr Conteh,
Rolling Stone,
16 Oct. 2025
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
-
Cigarette butts are the most littered item on the planet.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Adverb
-
The scene where groundskeeper Walter (Marcus Henderson) runs aimlessly across the lawn borders on the ridiculous, but, without getting into spoilers, the only other mistake Peele makes is the film's antagonist.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Others from the church wandered almost aimlessly, looking for family members.—
Georgea Kovanis,
Freep.com,
5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Another study challenging the MICI scenario noted that breaking ice also tends to form a mélange, a dense, jumbled slurry of icebergs and sea ice.—
Evan Howell,
Quanta Magazine,
20 Oct. 2025
-
While Texas Tech has emerged as the clear favorite to win the conference (-120 odds on BetMGM), the chasing pack is still a jumbled mess.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Topsy-turvy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/topsy-turvy. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share