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
Researchers reached this conclusion by observing restful behaviors in the upside-down jellyfish Cassiopea andromeda and the starlet sea anemone Nematostella vectensis.
—
Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 9 Jan. 2026
On April 26, 2025, ICE officers in Dallas saw a pickup truck lose a tire, roll seven times, and land upside-down.
—Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 9 Jan. 2026
The upside-down triangle now features food groups that should be eaten in abundance at the top and those that should constitute less of your diet at the bottom.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 9 Jan. 2026
The upside-down triangle now features food groups that should be eaten in abundance at the top and those that should constitute less of your diet at the bottom.
—Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 8 Jan. 2026
There is even a steak near the top of the Department of Agriculture’s new upside-down food pyramid.
—Dana Goodyear, New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2026
The country was already buckling under decades of financial mismanagement, an upside-down tax system, obstructionist high courts, and a monarchy unwilling to modernize.
—Serena Turner, Vanity Fair, 29 Dec. 2025
Back when many meals were cooked in a cast-iron skillet over an open fire, the upside-down cake was born.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 28 Dec. 2025
Jet fuel flowed into the cabin, filling the space as Carleton, frazzled and disheveled, crawled toward the exit, tossing luggage that had fallen out of the upside-down overhead compartments out of the way to clear a path for his fellow passengers.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 20 Dec. 2025
Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 9 Jan. 2026
On April 26, 2025, ICE officers in Dallas saw a pickup truck lose a tire, roll seven times, and land upside-down.
—Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 9 Jan. 2026
The upside-down triangle now features food groups that should be eaten in abundance at the top and those that should constitute less of your diet at the bottom.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 9 Jan. 2026
The upside-down triangle now features food groups that should be eaten in abundance at the top and those that should constitute less of your diet at the bottom.
—Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 8 Jan. 2026
There is even a steak near the top of the Department of Agriculture’s new upside-down food pyramid.
—Dana Goodyear, New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2026
The country was already buckling under decades of financial mismanagement, an upside-down tax system, obstructionist high courts, and a monarchy unwilling to modernize.
—Serena Turner, Vanity Fair, 29 Dec. 2025
Back when many meals were cooked in a cast-iron skillet over an open fire, the upside-down cake was born.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 28 Dec. 2025
Jet fuel flowed into the cabin, filling the space as Carleton, frazzled and disheveled, crawled toward the exit, tossing luggage that had fallen out of the upside-down overhead compartments out of the way to clear a path for his fellow passengers.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 20 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upside-down
Adjective
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Adding a dust ruffle around the base of your bed can make this spot even better for keeping messy items hidden.—
Lauren Landers,
The Spruce,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Art Supplies Art supplies will get messy fast if those tubes and bottles leak or burst.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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By contrast, fringe subcultures operate in a more cryptic and chaotic manner.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
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Much of the movie's story revolves around Marty's chaotic efforts to make enough money to travel to Japan and compete in a tournament there.—
Tommy McArdle,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 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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Goedert scored his second touchdown on a fourth-and-2 leaving a confused Malik Mustapha behind him in the left flat.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
12 Jan. 2026
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Yet many of its citizens feel both whiplashed and confused.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Absent were any sloppy moments or off-the-cuff interactions.—
Lisa Respers France,
CNN Money,
12 Jan. 2026
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And devoured them again Saturday night at Viejas Arena in a sloppy 71-52 win that kept the Aztecs tied with Utah State atop the Mountain West at 5-0.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Tidy Food Storage Containers The same can be said for the food storage containers that can easily become a jumbled mess in the cabinet.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
30 Dec. 2025
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What should be a gripping thriller centered on new, uncharted technology and questionable loyalties degenerates into a jumbled mess.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
27 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Merry Christmas ya filthy animals.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
26 Dec. 2025
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In other words, Cunha’s job is to convince the Americans now running the federal government to give Brown’s motley crew of gender-benders, anti-Semites and filthy-rich legacies a good leaving alone.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
24 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Rather than letting those items pile up in a cluttered mess, opt for a compact organizer with enough storage to hold all the essentials.—
Rachel Trujillo,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 2026
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Authoring this noisy, jazzy track all by his lonesome, Weir vocally zig-zagged his way across a cluttered arrangement flush with oddball time changes.—
A.D. Amorosi,
Variety,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Upside-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upside-down. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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