as in messy
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness
a tousled pile of yarn and material scraps at the bottom of her craft box
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in disrupted
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
his grandfather would always tousle the boy's neatly combed hair
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tousled
Calin Van Paris, InStyle, 27 May 2026
Emin’s masterpiece thumbed its nose at a tradition of recumbent feminine flesh on tousled white sheets (think Titian’s Venus of Urbino, Manet’s Olympia, or any number of bosomy Lucian Freud nudes).
—Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026
The sparkling animal prints, the tousled blonde waves, the radiant smiles — the duo look more like twins than mother and daughter in this shot from the 2017 premiere of Goldie's film Snatched.
—Sophie Dodd, PEOPLE, 19 Apr. 2026
The star, who was accompanied by a pal, was glowing in a bold red blouse and jeans, completing her look with smoky eyes, tousled tresses and a glossy nude lip.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
Our editors have tested tons of tools—alongside expert recommendations—to find the hair wavers that make getting glossy, tousled texture almost too easy.
—Lily Wohlner, Allure, 18 Mar. 2026
Brent Lang, Variety, 19 May 2026
His hair is frosted at the tips, carefully tousled; his eyes are alert, amused, ever-probing.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 13 Apr. 2026
Her signature copper red hair, styled by Halley Brisker, was worn softly tousled down her back.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 1 Apr. 2026
Kardashian, 45, showed off a pair of ice-blue contact lenses and wore her chocolate brown hair tousled across her shoulders.
—Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 18 Mar. 2026
Kristen Wiig looked effortlessly cool, thanks to Abergel, who tousled her hair using Virtue Labs products.
—Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 16 Mar. 2026
Whether it was tousled by hand or pulled back in a tortoiseshell headband, Bessette’s length and color followed the same effortless code of her wardrobe, leaving us with enduring hair inspiration even after her untimely passing.
—Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 5 Mar. 2026
Winn has a lean, tan face and tousled blond hair befitting his California lifestyle.
—Sarah Todd, STAT, 20 Feb. 2026
Her hair was bleach blonde, tousled and pulled back for the mirror selfie.
—Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 31 Dec. 2025
Adjective
Is there anything more romantic than tousled curls and bangs?
—Calin Van Paris, InStyle, 27 May 2026
Emin’s masterpiece thumbed its nose at a tradition of recumbent feminine flesh on tousled white sheets (think Titian’s Venus of Urbino, Manet’s Olympia, or any number of bosomy Lucian Freud nudes).
—Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026
The sparkling animal prints, the tousled blonde waves, the radiant smiles — the duo look more like twins than mother and daughter in this shot from the 2017 premiere of Goldie's film Snatched.
—Sophie Dodd, PEOPLE, 19 Apr. 2026
The star, who was accompanied by a pal, was glowing in a bold red blouse and jeans, completing her look with smoky eyes, tousled tresses and a glossy nude lip.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
Our editors have tested tons of tools—alongside expert recommendations—to find the hair wavers that make getting glossy, tousled texture almost too easy.
—Lily Wohlner, Allure, 18 Mar. 2026
Verb
They were also joined in the auditorium by Boris Kudrin, who plays their teenage son Seryozha — at one point Mazurov tousled Kudrin’s hair.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 19 May 2026
His hair is frosted at the tips, carefully tousled; his eyes are alert, amused, ever-probing.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 13 Apr. 2026
Her signature copper red hair, styled by Halley Brisker, was worn softly tousled down her back.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 1 Apr. 2026
Kardashian, 45, showed off a pair of ice-blue contact lenses and wore her chocolate brown hair tousled across her shoulders.
—Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 18 Mar. 2026
Kristen Wiig looked effortlessly cool, thanks to Abergel, who tousled her hair using Virtue Labs products.
—Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 16 Mar. 2026
Whether it was tousled by hand or pulled back in a tortoiseshell headband, Bessette’s length and color followed the same effortless code of her wardrobe, leaving us with enduring hair inspiration even after her untimely passing.
—Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 5 Mar. 2026
Winn has a lean, tan face and tousled blond hair befitting his California lifestyle.
—Sarah Todd, STAT, 20 Feb. 2026
Her hair was bleach blonde, tousled and pulled back for the mirror selfie.
—Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 31 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tousled
Adjective
-
To make matters messier, Danson and Goldberg’s romance was cooling off and the two actually tried to get out of the Friars roast, but the club said the tickets had been sold and the show must go on.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
-
Miami-Dade’s mayor is forcing out both her top deputy and the PortMiami director as her administration faces a costly and messy real estate deal to prevent the port’s fuel depot from being lost to a luxury condo development.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Fragmented sleep, irregular sleep timing, and disrupted circadian rhythms can all negatively affect your health.—
Brian Mastroianni,
Health,
2 June 2026
-
Spurs deserve credit for acting swiftly and learning their lessons from last summer when the uncertainty over the future of then head coach Ange Postecoglou disrupted their plans and contributed to them missing out on key targets.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
This efficient metro connects the whole city, without having to brave the chaotic, crowded streets.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
Witnesses described a chaotic scene as gunfire erupted near the beach.—
Eric Mack,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Using a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer, for example, the spectral biosignatures of carbon dioxide and methane may overlap, leading to the gasses being confused with each other and signs of life being dismissed or lost.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
1 June 2026
-
Brown women artists are often confused with anthropologists.—
Cressida Leyshon,
New Yorker,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
In the past, her songs were so littered with personal details that listening felt voyeuristic.—
Madison Bloom,
Pitchfork,
31 Mar. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Charges against the ambulance thief — who was emotionally disturbed, according to a police source — were pending Thursday.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
28 May 2026
-
Shaina was fascinated by Greek mythology but disturbed by the concept of other Gods.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
His edges going backwards can be a little sloppy, but with some refinement and good coaching, there could be something there.—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
-
The Rays had a chance for more as the Tigers continued their sloppy play.—
Marc Topkin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
While many of the brand’s lifestyle models are frequently shuffled in and out of production, the 9060 has held on as a staple of the brand’s lineup nearly four years after its retail debut.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
28 May 2026
-
He then was shuffled between immigration centers in California, Arizona and Louisiana — before landing in Equatorial Guinea almost six months ago.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tousled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tousled. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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