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 updates are represented by an upside-down pyramid which places vegetables, fruits, proteins, dairy and healthy fats at the top and whole grains at the bottom.
—
The Hill Staff, The Hill, 11 Feb. 2026
Isabel, for instance, is introduced upside-down, lying on the grass, under the spray of one of the many sprinklers that water the course in a sort of mechanical ballet.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2026
This ridiculously easy twist on a traditional pineapple upside-down cake is just as delicious and only calls for five ingredients.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 3 Feb. 2026
But out of everything, the archive’s most astonishing component is a series of home movies that allegedly capture impromptu moments of psychokinetic activity within an upside-down fish tank.
—Shannon Taggart, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
Lift your hips towards the ceiling, forming an upside-down V shape with your body.
—Rikkilynn Shields Hannigan, Health, 31 Jan. 2026
WonderWorks and its upside-down building begin to turn heads on International Drive.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Jan. 2026
First responders arrived at the scene less than a minute after the conversation about the upside-down aircraft, airport director Jose Saavedra said, according to the Associated Press.
—Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
To understand the evolution of sleep, Appelbaum and his colleagues focused on upside-down jellyfish (Cassiopea andromeda) and the starlet sea anemone (Nematostella vectensis).
—New Atlas, 24 Jan. 2026
The Hill Staff, The Hill, 11 Feb. 2026
Isabel, for instance, is introduced upside-down, lying on the grass, under the spray of one of the many sprinklers that water the course in a sort of mechanical ballet.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2026
This ridiculously easy twist on a traditional pineapple upside-down cake is just as delicious and only calls for five ingredients.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 3 Feb. 2026
But out of everything, the archive’s most astonishing component is a series of home movies that allegedly capture impromptu moments of psychokinetic activity within an upside-down fish tank.
—Shannon Taggart, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
Lift your hips towards the ceiling, forming an upside-down V shape with your body.
—Rikkilynn Shields Hannigan, Health, 31 Jan. 2026
WonderWorks and its upside-down building begin to turn heads on International Drive.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Jan. 2026
First responders arrived at the scene less than a minute after the conversation about the upside-down aircraft, airport director Jose Saavedra said, according to the Associated Press.
—Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
To understand the evolution of sleep, Appelbaum and his colleagues focused on upside-down jellyfish (Cassiopea andromeda) and the starlet sea anemone (Nematostella vectensis).
—New Atlas, 24 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upside-down
Adjective
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How does Carolyn’s hair actually look better a little messy?—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Saturday is expected to be the nicest day of the week, with mostly sunny skies and a high around 51, but Sunday could be messy.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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As temperature rises, these vibrations intensify, creating a more chaotic, more resistant barrier that paradoxically hardens the metal’s surface against high-speed stress.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Feb. 2026
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While some of Griffin’s jokes may be a product of their time, My Life on the D-List is, all the same, a fascinating snapshot of early aughts celebrity culture in all its chaotic messiness.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Feb. 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
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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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Many people are confused because they’ve been placed in a new district.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
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What’s troubling about the drop in vaccination rates, however, is that confused — and at times contradictory — public debate around vaccines has almost certainly driven that decline.—
Josh M. Shepherd,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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In a women’s semifinal, Slovak Marianna Jagercikova got snow stuck in the bindings of her ski boots, causing a sloppy transition, which ended her chances of advancing to the final.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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Drop shoulders and a high-low hemline keep the top relaxed, while the classic wide-leg pants offer pajama-like comfort without looking sloppy.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The words sound like magnetic fridge poetry—jumbled and foreign in her mouth.—
Olivia Horn,
Pitchfork,
20 Feb. 2026
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Yet all this beauty ultimately does not save a jumbled narrative.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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So open to the skies, and filthy.—
Lesley Stahl,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
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This neighborhood, peopled almost entirely by the people who claim to have been driven from Poland and Russia, is the eyesore of New York and perhaps the filthiest place on the western continent.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Developed by Penn Engineers, the system could improve safety of robots operating in cluttered indoor settings like warehouses and factories.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Feb. 2026
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Yes, your car is going to get dirty and cluttered on a long drive, but starting with a clean slate will make the aftermath much easier to deal with later.—
Mary Shannon Wells,
Southern Living,
12 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Upside-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upside-down. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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