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
Eagle-eyed social media users had spotted the editing over the untidy suits of the country’s top officials.
—
Arata Yamamoto, NBC News, 7 Oct. 2024
Palermo is as untidy as life and as temperamental as a Sicilian lover.
—Stanley Stewart, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 July 2024
Life unfolds in its untidy way, and tests commitments.
—Amy Dickinson, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024
Bad parents of their own extended childhoods, struggling with the second, or third, act of untidy lives.
—Nick Bowlin, Harper's Magazine, 24 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for untidy 
Arata Yamamoto, NBC News, 7 Oct. 2024
Palermo is as untidy as life and as temperamental as a Sicilian lover.
—Stanley Stewart, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 July 2024
Life unfolds in its untidy way, and tests commitments.
—Amy Dickinson, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024
Bad parents of their own extended childhoods, struggling with the second, or third, act of untidy lives.
—Nick Bowlin, Harper's Magazine, 24 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for untidy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for untidy
Adjective
-
The trail from the bay leading to the preserve’s entrance is rough, rocky and messy.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
16 Feb. 2025
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All of them fled Afghanistan with their families for Pakistan, sometime after the messy withdrawal of the U.S. military in 2021.—
Belinda Luscombe,
TIME,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Ekman-Larsson’s sloppy high-sticking penalty in the third led to a go-ahead goal, bringing the grade down a touch. D3 (Simon Benoit — Philippe Myers): C- After a strong effort on Thursday, this pair came back to earth on Saturday.—
Nick Ashbourne,
The Athletic,
9 Feb. 2025
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But Klein notes that all the activity belies just how many of the new administration's most high-profile decisions have already been stymied by sloppy rollouts, gotten jammed up by the courts, or faced widespread condemnation by world leaders.—
Gene Demby,
NPR,
8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The week’s biggest stories A month after L.A. firestorms, essential questions still haunt Southern California The region is still grappling with basic questions about what caused the blazes, why evacuations were so chaotic and whether officials were prepared.—
Kevinisha Walker,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2025
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While the transfer was orderly – in contrast to chaotic scenes surrounding the release of Israeli and Thai hostages in Gaza last week – the three appeared thin and pale when they were led onto a makeshift stage.—
Sophie Tanno and Mick Krever,
CNN,
8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Most wine lovers know that the word Sauvignon comes from the French word sauvage and the word blanc simply means white, but most people don’t know the reason is because when untrained vines of the variety have a distinctly unkempt appearance.—
Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen,
Robb Report,
4 Nov. 2024
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But, as in these United States, the key question remains whether creeping totalitarianism — from the left and the right — will squeeze everyday people out of their inalienable right to just be their sometimes obnoxious, unkempt, idiosyncratic selves.—
Ed Wallace,
New York Daily News,
6 June 2024
Adjective
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The cropped black faux leather jacket has a shaggy, biscotti brown trim and sleeves.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
9 Feb. 2025
-
The London Orbital Motorway, or the M25, is a vast ring road that runs in a shaggy circle around the outer edges of the capital.—
Anna Russell,
The New Yorker,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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For many, the frenetic nature of the firings has left them confused – and even days later – without a full accounting of their termination.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
The Mercury News,
19 Feb. 2025
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Build your strategy around results Showing up to your laptop without a plan will leave you confused, tired and unsure about the next step.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Slough House is headed by the slovenly, flatulent, and frequently intoxicated Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), who routinely heaps verbal abuse on his staff but is nonetheless a brilliant spymaster in his own smelly way.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
24 Dec. 2024
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Corruption within the organization, after all, is as much a part of the show as Jackson Lamb’s slovenly habits and horrible diet.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
9 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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This was to help end the puppy mill industry, where dogs are bred en masse, leading them to be born and raised in filthy and neglected conditions.—
Andrew Sheeler,
Sacramento Bee,
12 Feb. 2025
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The boys all came home, filthy and with unbrushed teeth.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Orange County Register,
5 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to untidy
Thesaurus Entries Near untidy
Cite this Entry
“Untidy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/untidy. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
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