clutter

1 of 2

verb

clut·​ter ˈklə-tər 

cluttered; cluttering; clutters

intransitive verb

chiefly dialectal : to run in disorder

transitive verb

: to fill or cover with scattered or disordered things that impede movement or reduce effectiveness

a room cluttered with toys

—often used with up

Too many signs were cluttering up the street corner.

clutter

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: a crowded or confused mass or collection

a clutter of motels and restaurants

b

: things that clutter a place

tried to minimize the unnecessary clutter in her house

2

: interfering radar echoes caused by reflection from objects (as on the ground) other than the target

3

chiefly dialectal : disturbance, hubbub

Synonyms

Noun

• agglomerate
• agglomeration
• alphabet soup
• assortment
• botch
• collage
• crazy quilt
• farrago
• gallimaufry
• grab bag
• gumbo
• hash
• hodgepodge
• hotchpotch
• jambalaya
• jumble
• jungle
• litter
• macédoine
• medley
• mélange
• menagerie
• miscellanea
• miscellany
• mishmash
• mixed bag
• montage
• motley
• muddle
• olio
• olla podrida
• omnium-gatherum
• pastiche
• patchwork
• patchwork quilt
• potpourri
• ragbag
• ragout
• rummage
• salad
• salmagundi
• scramble
• shuffle
• smorgasbord
• stew
• tumble
• variety
• welter

Examples of clutter in a Sentence

Verb

The garage was cluttered with tools.

Try to avoid cluttering your desk with books and papers.

Noun

There's a lot of unnecessary clutter in the house.

a scrapbook that was a clutter of snapshots, diary entries, letters, and newspaper clippings

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

This pan will pull its weight in the kitchen, doing the work of multiple pans (and minimizing the pieces of cookware cluttering your kitchen) while certainly not skimping on style. —Megan Wahn, Architectural Digest, 29 Nov. 2024

Space station regularly avoids space junk Such maneuvers have become a increasingly necessary for the space station to perform amid a growing field of space debris cluttering what's known as low-Earth orbit. —Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 21 Nov. 2024

Noun

Closet bins and drawer separators Placing like-items in matching bins and creating compartments in drawers with dividers can help to cut down on visual clutter and achieve a cohesive look. —Christina Pérez, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2024

Avoid clutter or overly creative designs, as these can detract from your content. —Andrew Fennell, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English clotteren to clot, from clot

First Known Use

Verb

1556, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1649, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

clutter

1 of 2 verb

clut·​ter ˈklət-ər 

: to fill or cover with a disorderly scattering of things

clutter up a room

clutter

2 of 2 noun

: a crowded or confused collection