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
Relevance
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
Hannah Malach, InStyle, 20 Feb. 2026
However, a teenager might simply identify sentences and structure, but after several years of living, loving and obsessing over someone with tousled hair, that now-adult might find their experiences affirmed, perhaps even blatantly, through a 178-year-old novel.
—Hannah Benson, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
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
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
Sarah Todd, STAT, 20 Feb. 2026
Lucy Hale's lob is tousled ever so slightly to lend some volume on top and give it an air of not trying too hard.
—Krista Carter, InStyle, 17 Feb. 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
Appearing at the Joy Awards in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia five days earlier, Brown rocked a chin-grazing tousled bob.
—Hannah Malach, InStyle, 20 Feb. 2026
However, a teenager might simply identify sentences and structure, but after several years of living, loving and obsessing over someone with tousled hair, that now-adult might find their experiences affirmed, perhaps even blatantly, through a 178-year-old novel.
—Hannah Benson, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
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
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
Verb
Winn has a lean, tan face and tousled blond hair befitting his California lifestyle.
—Sarah Todd, STAT, 20 Feb. 2026
Lucy Hale's lob is tousled ever so slightly to lend some volume on top and give it an air of not trying too hard.
—Krista Carter, InStyle, 17 Feb. 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
-
Meanwhile, at the Milan Fashion Week show, the star embraced an edgy aesthetic with a messy low ponytail and smudged black eyeliner with smoky navy eyeshadow.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
26 Feb. 2026
-
That unfolding intra-family fight is messy, to put it mildly, but one that Democrats are relishing.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The business for L’Oréal — a bellwether — remained soft in 2025, especially due to the channel in China being temporarily disrupted by the suspension of the duty-free members app Sunrise and a change in domestic airport operators.—
Jennifer Weil,
Footwear News,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara flights have continued to be disrupted, with the alert citing flight-crew availability.—
Dante Motley,
Austin American Statesman,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Buyers who understand neighborhood-level competition, secure financing early and structure offers carefully are best positioned to succeed in a market that remains competitive — but no longer chaotic.—
Allison Palmer
Updated February 23,
Kansas City Star,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Omar Casillas was running a half marathon, about to cross the finish line when things became chaotic.—
Suzanne Gamboa,
NBC news,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
These earrings are often confused by a pair of sapphire and diamond earrings once owned and worn by Princess Diana—which Kate also wears from time to time.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
23 Feb. 2026
-
According to the department, a CCPD officer quickly found the woman confused and cold, but otherwise unharmed.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
23 Feb. 2026
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
Verb
-
Just like a stationary pendulum, when nudged, returns to its stationary state, a quantum system, too, when disturbed, returns to its balanced state.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Feb. 2026
-
As a Broward resident, I am deeply disturbed by the systematic failure of our state attorney’s offfice to prosecute the exploitation of our most vulnerable citizens.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Compared to the absolving gleam of latex, sloppy imperfection isn’t especially sexy.—
Lillian Fishman,
New Yorker,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Against the Raptors, that translated into sloppy basketball.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Teenage athletes, whose bodies are pushed to the breaking point and then shuffled out of the sport when new talent arises, bear the brunt of the pressure.—
Rachel Hale,
USA Today,
21 Feb. 2026
-
That means there aren’t going to be just a few chairs shuffled around; my suspicion is much of the roster likely will be overhauled in the next few years.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tousled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tousled. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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