1
as in corrupt
having or showing lowered moral character or standards
there's something unclean about this whole business
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in filthy
not clean
a lackadaisical waiter who tried to set our table with smudged glasses and unclean silverware
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of unclean
Katadyn BeFree Water Filter Bottle Clean water is non-negotiable when exploring the backcountry—one sip of unclean water can have life-threatening consequences.
—
Karthika Gupta, Travel + Leisure, 22 Sep. 2025
Suppose the Byzantine code comes back unclean.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Historically, Black women have disproportionately faced related charges of being physically and biologically unclean.
—Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2025
The restaurant was closed because of issues with running water at its sinks, proper hot water temperature, improper refrigeration temperatures and unclean surfaces, according to the inspection report.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unclean
Karthika Gupta, Travel + Leisure, 22 Sep. 2025
Suppose the Byzantine code comes back unclean.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Historically, Black women have disproportionately faced related charges of being physically and biologically unclean.
—Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2025
The restaurant was closed because of issues with running water at its sinks, proper hot water temperature, improper refrigeration temperatures and unclean surfaces, according to the inspection report.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unclean
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unclean
Adjective
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Which makes Shelley Joseph today’s poster gal for the corrupt double standards in the Massachusetts legal system.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Trump is running the most brazenly corrupt administration in modern history.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The couple slept on a filthy mattress on the floor with their 4-year-old son, Stephano.—
Daniel Gonzalez,
AZCentral.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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The big comedy set pieces overwhelm Miller’s attempts at satire, but any movie that has Nicholson casually dropping filthy double (and single) entendres beneath arched eyebrows is worth a look.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Raimondo Orsi had already gone back to Argentina to look after his sick mother, and Luis Monti had retired.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
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Air traffic controllers tasked with managing aircraft movements on runways and in the skies are working without pay during the shutdown, leading to more controllers calling in sick and triggering short staff warnings from the FAA.—
Alysa Guffey,
IndyStar,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Bliss is said to have examined Garfield's wounds with unwashed hands and dirty tools, and the president's death further damaged his reputation.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Nov. 2025
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Solar power cuts greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution from dirty generators that can cause health problems.—
Jeff Young,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Advertisement Restoring degraded land offers similar payoffs.—
Kaveh Zahedi,
Time,
3 Nov. 2025
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Previous studies relied on a process known as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which amplifies small or degraded fragments of DNA, allowing scientists to analyze genetic material even from old or damaged organic matter.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Among them is the question of whether to use stained parts of the haversacks — possibly containing blood — on the straps’ reverse side, or to cut around them entirely.—
Oscar Holland,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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The stained glass traces a hierarchy from the current dean to the Crown and then to God.—
Rick Burton,
Sportico.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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People pour in from the dense warrens of India’s financial capital and from dusty villages thousands of kilometers away, all flowing towards the fortified, sea-facing Mumbai home of actor Shah Rukh Khan.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
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Workers are startled when a jar tumbles out of a dusty box and rolls onto the ground.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The land, unfenced, abuts a bald blackened hillside that must be public land.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Aug. 2025
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In its time open, fueled by fans of its blackened mahi and buttery lobster rolls, owner Mike Smith has expanded his footprint, moving into a larger stall in the popular food hall — which has allowed for a menu expansion, as well.—
Amy Drew Thompson,
Orlando Sentinel,
6 Dec. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Unclean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unclean. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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