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
Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 2 Feb. 2026
Rahal emerges from his desk, tall, with a shadowy scruff, tousled brown locks, and piercing blue eyes.
—Sophia Herring, Vanity Fair, 28 Jan. 2026
Sharing new imagery on her Instagram account today, the supermodel channeled 1990s-era Pamela Anderson in a tousled blonde updo.
—Hannah Malach, InStyle, 28 Jan. 2026
Her hair was styled in loose, tousled waves.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026
To get the best of both worlds, Cyrus wore her blonde hair down in loose, tousled waves, à la her old look from the Disney Channel series, which first premiered in March 2006 and ran until January 2011.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 4 Jan. 2026
With an 18-inch waist and long, tousled hair, Bardot was one of the first movie stars to appear au naturel.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 28 Dec. 2025
In September, 2022, Rafael Mariano Grossi, an elegant Argentinean diplomat with tousled salt-and-pepper hair, led a convoy of nuclear experts toward the sprawling Zaporizhzhia power plant, in southeast Ukraine, which had been seized by Russia in the early days of its invasion.
—Robin Wright, New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2025
Carpenter wore her blonde hair in loose, tousled curls, with her signature blush and strong eyebrows, and a deep, rosy pink lip.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 7 Dec. 2025
Krista Carter, InStyle, 27 Jan. 2026
Her dark pixie crop was curled and tousled, with strong eyebrows, and feline-like eye makeup.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 14 Jan. 2026
Her hair was bleach blonde, tousled and pulled back for the mirror selfie.
—Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 31 Dec. 2025
In that original viral campaign launch video, a bearded Platner, his strawberry blonde hair tousled, introduced Maine voters to the issues central to his platform, namely, broad economic populism, taxing billionaires, and universal healthcare.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Oct. 2025
Look at Jimmy Fallon, who steered clear of the wrong jokes and tousled the right hair, and is still catching all-caps strays on Truth Social.
—James Folta
september 19, Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
The pop star completed her ethereal look with a softly tousled hairstyle and delicate drop earrings.
—Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 2 Feb. 2026
Rahal emerges from his desk, tall, with a shadowy scruff, tousled brown locks, and piercing blue eyes.
—Sophia Herring, Vanity Fair, 28 Jan. 2026
Sharing new imagery on her Instagram account today, the supermodel channeled 1990s-era Pamela Anderson in a tousled blonde updo.
—Hannah Malach, InStyle, 28 Jan. 2026
Her hair was styled in loose, tousled waves.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026
To get the best of both worlds, Cyrus wore her blonde hair down in loose, tousled waves, à la her old look from the Disney Channel series, which first premiered in March 2006 and ran until January 2011.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 4 Jan. 2026
With an 18-inch waist and long, tousled hair, Bardot was one of the first movie stars to appear au naturel.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 28 Dec. 2025
In September, 2022, Rafael Mariano Grossi, an elegant Argentinean diplomat with tousled salt-and-pepper hair, led a convoy of nuclear experts toward the sprawling Zaporizhzhia power plant, in southeast Ukraine, which had been seized by Russia in the early days of its invasion.
—Robin Wright, New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2025
Carpenter wore her blonde hair in loose, tousled curls, with her signature blush and strong eyebrows, and a deep, rosy pink lip.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 7 Dec. 2025
Verb
Now, she's known for sporting casually tousled layers that beautifully frame her face.
—Krista Carter, InStyle, 27 Jan. 2026
Her dark pixie crop was curled and tousled, with strong eyebrows, and feline-like eye makeup.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 14 Jan. 2026
Her hair was bleach blonde, tousled and pulled back for the mirror selfie.
—Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 31 Dec. 2025
In that original viral campaign launch video, a bearded Platner, his strawberry blonde hair tousled, introduced Maine voters to the issues central to his platform, namely, broad economic populism, taxing billionaires, and universal healthcare.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Oct. 2025
Look at Jimmy Fallon, who steered clear of the wrong jokes and tousled the right hair, and is still catching all-caps strays on Truth Social.
—James Folta
september 19, Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tousled
Adjective
-
In this case, that ball happens to be the complex that serves as the symbolic seat of the nation’s vibrant, messy, questioning, deeply political and hugely alive arts and culture scene.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Scuffs and chips will show up quickly, requiring frequent touch-ups that can end up creating messy layers.—
Asia London Palomba,
The Spruce,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Types of polar vortex events Meteorologists generally track two main ways the polar vortex behaves when it’s disrupted.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
3 Feb. 2026
-
For the operation, the team used a multi-node mesh network that could reroute data automatically through other available noted, if certain parts of the network were disrupted.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
While navigating Westport by car or on foot is chaotic right now, the goal is to prevent destruction in the future.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Lazy Susans and magnetic spice racks turn chaotic fridges and spice shelves into functional spaces.—
Melissa Epifano,
The Spruce,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The show is Finding Her Edge, a new ice skating drama that should not be confused with Spinning Out, another Netflix ice skating drama that was cancelled after one season.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Judicial warrants should not be confused with administrative warrants, which are signed by immigration officers.—
Wyatte Grantham-Philips,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 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
-
Cigarette butts are the most littered item on the planet.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The study was conducted in a lab, where participants had never slept before, which could have also disturbed their sleep.—
Kaan Ozcan,
NBC news,
4 Feb. 2026
-
If the dirt is disturbed the next day, the den is occupied.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
At times, Epstein characterized the billionaire’s office as sloppy and amateurish, exposing him to taxes and reputational risks while making sensitive payments.—
Tom Schoenberg,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The Heat also ran into its own sloppy play, committing 19 turnovers.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Lock mode proved invaluable on loose climbs, Hill Descent took the stress out of steep drop-offs, and Auto seamlessly shuffled between two- and four-wheel drive as conditions changed.—
Fergus Scholes,
TheWeek,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Key Background The ranks of the world’s wealthiest people have shuffled in recent months.—
Ty Roush,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tousled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tousled. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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