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 post also included the album cover, which shows Rodrigo upside-down on a swing.
—
Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 2 Apr. 2026
Who knows if, in this upside-down world that currently weighs on her, the june bug can see the nearby corpse of another beetle, accidentally disemboweled by the home’s owner hours before, the white fat peeking out from her rear end like the materialization of her dying breath.
—María Ospina, The Dial, 31 Mar. 2026
About 40 demonstrators carried upside-down United States flags, a sign often used to indicate distress.
—Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 28 Mar. 2026
The group has an image on Instagram, using an upside-down triangle symbol that Hamas used to mark targets during attacks in Israel.
—Asra Q. Nomani, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2026
Melanie Martinez returns with her fourth studio album, HADES, the songwriter and alternative pop artist’s social commentary on today’s upside-down world.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 27 Mar. 2026
Her incision looked like an upside-down T and required a wound vac, a portable machine that helps incisions close more quickly.
—CNN Money, 16 Mar. 2026
Her incision looked like an upside-down T and required a wound vac, a portable machine that helps incisions close more quickly.
—Amy Yurkanin, ProPublica, 14 Mar. 2026
Some of the artworks depict the flag with missing stars or hanging upside-down.
—Suzanne Le Mignot, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2026
Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 2 Apr. 2026
Who knows if, in this upside-down world that currently weighs on her, the june bug can see the nearby corpse of another beetle, accidentally disemboweled by the home’s owner hours before, the white fat peeking out from her rear end like the materialization of her dying breath.
—María Ospina, The Dial, 31 Mar. 2026
About 40 demonstrators carried upside-down United States flags, a sign often used to indicate distress.
—Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 28 Mar. 2026
The group has an image on Instagram, using an upside-down triangle symbol that Hamas used to mark targets during attacks in Israel.
—Asra Q. Nomani, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2026
Melanie Martinez returns with her fourth studio album, HADES, the songwriter and alternative pop artist’s social commentary on today’s upside-down world.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 27 Mar. 2026
Her incision looked like an upside-down T and required a wound vac, a portable machine that helps incisions close more quickly.
—CNN Money, 16 Mar. 2026
Her incision looked like an upside-down T and required a wound vac, a portable machine that helps incisions close more quickly.
—Amy Yurkanin, ProPublica, 14 Mar. 2026
Some of the artworks depict the flag with missing stars or hanging upside-down.
—Suzanne Le Mignot, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upside-down
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
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For obvious reasons, the name (and how to pronounce it) immediately confused fans of the couple.—
Emma Banks,
InStyle,
11 Apr. 2026
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However, his revelations added additional layers of complications rather than actually pointing towards who was responsible for Floyd's death, leaving detectives Donoghue Homer (Richard Jenkins) and Jodie Plumb (Joy Sunday) even more confused.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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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
-
Still, plushy, squelchy chairs don’t have to look sloppy either.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The musical, which examines in jumbled chronology the five-year relationship between novelist Jamie and actress Cathy, debuted in Chicago in 2001 and opened off Broadway the following year.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Initially intriguing, the jumbled chronology eventually proves to be largely decorative until a disappointing late-reel twist explains why the labored device was deployed in the first place.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Kilitch Healthcare had serious quality lapses, in which the facility was filthy, employees were barefoot on the manufacturing floor and the company fraudulently passed products that failed sterility tests.—
C. Michael White,
The Conversation,
7 Apr. 2026
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Common areas are often filthy, and increasingly populated by drug users.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
Add a mail organizer and small bins for cluttered items that need sorting.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Upside-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upside-down. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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