as in messy
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness
the frantic search left the room upside-down
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Recent Examples of upside-down
The teen is accused of using a rope to tie an upside-down folding table to the back of his vehicle and then pulling that table through the parking lot while a male friend, also 17, rode on top of the table.
—
Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2025
What began in curiosity about an upside-down dance may one day lead to cleaner water.
—John Drake, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Broiler Basics & Heat Intensity Unlike conventional oven baking, which uses indirect heat, a broiler produces direct, concentrated heat from above—essentially like an upside-down grill inside your oven.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2025
The $43 billion WarnerMedia-Discovery merger, which closed in 2022, followed an unsettled three-year stretch when AT&T also had turned things upside-down and let waves of talented execs walk out the door.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 12 Sep. 2025
CFMoto has given the naked a custom subframe, gullwing-style swingarm, and KYB suspension, which includes 41 mm upside-down forks and a monoshock – both of which are adjustable.
—New Atlas, 12 Sep. 2025
Set melons, winter squash and pumpkins onto a bed of straw or an upside-down yogurt container to keep them off the soil.
—Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Sep. 2025
The chart doesn’t look like a hump anymore, but more like an upside-down check mark, peaking on the left side and going down and to the right.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Sep. 2025
Drain or turn unused boats or canoes upside-down to prevent water from gathering inside.
—John Tufts, IndyStar, 29 Aug. 2025
Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2025
What began in curiosity about an upside-down dance may one day lead to cleaner water.
—John Drake, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Broiler Basics & Heat Intensity Unlike conventional oven baking, which uses indirect heat, a broiler produces direct, concentrated heat from above—essentially like an upside-down grill inside your oven.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2025
The $43 billion WarnerMedia-Discovery merger, which closed in 2022, followed an unsettled three-year stretch when AT&T also had turned things upside-down and let waves of talented execs walk out the door.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 12 Sep. 2025
CFMoto has given the naked a custom subframe, gullwing-style swingarm, and KYB suspension, which includes 41 mm upside-down forks and a monoshock – both of which are adjustable.
—New Atlas, 12 Sep. 2025
Set melons, winter squash and pumpkins onto a bed of straw or an upside-down yogurt container to keep them off the soil.
—Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Sep. 2025
The chart doesn’t look like a hump anymore, but more like an upside-down check mark, peaking on the left side and going down and to the right.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Sep. 2025
Drain or turn unused boats or canoes upside-down to prevent water from gathering inside.
—John Tufts, IndyStar, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upside-down
Adjective
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Now that the series is streaming on Netflix, fans old and new are curious to see what the cast of Nashville has been up to since that messy series finale.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Sep. 2025
-
This song encourages them to get messy, play, and have fun with this staple activity of the Halloween season.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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As chaotic and inventive as Vampire Weekend‘s arrangements get over five studio albums, things never feel out of control.—
William Earl,
Variety,
21 Sep. 2025
-
The four-time Formula One champion began in pole position after a chaotic qualifying session on Saturday and was never troubled after making a good start in Baku.—
Jamie Barton,
CNN Money,
21 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Cigarette butts are the most littered item on the planet.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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When my first biopsy came back as noncancerous, everyone was confused.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
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One of the abstentions on the VFC coverage vote was Meissner, who didn't want to strip the recommendation or the VFC coverage but was entirely confused by how this would work in practice.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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And the free options just make life harder with jumbled formatting.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
20 Sep. 2025
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But a patchwork of injunctions that have yet to reach the justices remain in place, creating a jumbled situation that keeps reductions at specific agencies on ice.—
Rebecca Beitsch,
The Hill,
9 July 2025
Adjective
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Unitree claims that the G1 is made to handle difficult, filthy, and repetitive jobs in a variety of settings, including at homes, factories, and hospitals.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Josh O’Connor, at his filthy best, plays a disillusioned ’70s suburban dad married to Alana Haim and vaguely fathering a pair of pathologically chatty sons as the Vietnam War and its attendant protests color the world around them.—
Vulture Staff,
Vulture,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Manning was inconsistent through the air, and the Longhorns were sloppy in some areas, but their defense limited UTEP's offense, giving Texas enough to pull away.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
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Bad salad kits have sloppy cuts of vegetables, meager toppings and oily or single-note dressings that are either too salty or just plain bland.—
Jolene Thym,
Mercury News,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Many high earners unknowingly turn their retirement into a cluttered collection of accounts with no clear plan.—
Larry Light,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
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In fact, kitchen design experts say that certain everyday choices, like cluttered countertops or tired finishes, can quietly sabotage your kitchen’s style, chipping away at its comfort and appeal.—
Sophie Flaxman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Upside-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upside-down. Accessed 28 Sep. 2025.
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