1
as in messy
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness
I can never find anything in this untidy office
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sloppy
lacking neatness in dress or person
neighbors gossiped about the woman's rumpled and untidy children
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of untidy
Inspired by the cognitive dissonance that Joan Didion experienced in Miami, Nick León creates a refreshingly untidy tapestry of the city’s dance music on A Tropical Entropy.
—
Pitchfork, 2 Dec. 2025
For all their control, Chelsea remain most vulnerable when the game becomes untidy.
—Sukhman Singh, New York Times, 1 Nov. 2025
Many plants, shrubs, and trees on the three-acre landscape had been ravaged by back-to-back hurricanes, while others had become overgrown and untidy.
—Miranda Crowell, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Oct. 2025
For those with untidy cleaning closets like myself, this nifty holder mounts to your wall and is designed with special grips to hold your go-to broom, tried-and-true mop, and more.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for untidy
Pitchfork, 2 Dec. 2025
For all their control, Chelsea remain most vulnerable when the game becomes untidy.
—Sukhman Singh, New York Times, 1 Nov. 2025
Many plants, shrubs, and trees on the three-acre landscape had been ravaged by back-to-back hurricanes, while others had become overgrown and untidy.
—Miranda Crowell, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Oct. 2025
For those with untidy cleaning closets like myself, this nifty holder mounts to your wall and is designed with special grips to hold your go-to broom, tried-and-true mop, and more.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for untidy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for untidy
Adjective
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Such implications could have a chilling effect on the reporting of such crimes by partners and spouses locked into messy and tumultuous relationships.—
Sal Rodriguez,
Oc Register,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Despite going through a messy divorce, the former couple remain good friends.—
Natalia Senanayake,
PEOPLE,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Nico Hoerner hit a leadoff homer and then delivered an RBI double during a five-run fifth inning as the Chicago Cubs beat the sloppy Tampa Bay Rays 6-2 on Wednesday night at Tropicana Field.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
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Still, plushy, squelchy chairs don’t have to look sloppy either.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
While some show up just to hang out, officials say these events are increasingly turning chaotic with fights, property damage, and in some cases arrests.—
Kaley Fedko,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
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Magnus ran a hand through his disheveled mane of auburn hair, a chaotic halo framing his disbelief.—
Ben Mezrich,
Vanity Fair,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
All these delightful, unkempt, messy characters, and the actors who portray them, pop off the screen in huge ways.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
9 Apr. 2026
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Joseph appeared in a striped prison uniform for his hearing on Tuesday morning, with his hair disheveled and beard unkempt.—
Chris Spargo,
PEOPLE,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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In the past, her songs were so littered with personal details that listening felt voyeuristic.—
Madison Bloom,
Pitchfork,
31 Mar. 2026
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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
Adjective
-
Yellowing leaves can indicate overwatering, while wrinkled leaves can point to underwatering.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The roads of New Orleans are cluttered with serried ranks of billboards touting the services of personal-injury lawyers.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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Add a mail organizer and small bins for cluttered items that need sorting.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Drizzle over butter mixture, then mix with a fork until shaggy pieces form.—
Chris Morocco,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
8 Apr. 2026
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Marsh gave way to thicker moss and shaggier shrubs.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Untidy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/untidy. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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