as in mess
a state in which everything is out of order
a professional chef would not tolerate such messiness in the kitchen
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Recent Examples of messiness
As well as being a bold reimagining, The Roses puts a refreshing twist on the pressures of success and the trappings of modern life, the risks of making our careers our identity, and the messiness of modern relationships and family.
—
Simon Thompson, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
The coming-of-age drama does a great job at capturing the messiness of young love, but off-screen, several of the cast members are in happy, long-term relationships.
—Kelsey Lentz, People.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Debate and occasional messiness is part of normal partisan politics.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 27 Aug. 2025
So, the Jays can put Monday’s messiness behind them.
—Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
So what would a 16 task be in terms of messiness?
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 July 2025
Simon Thompson, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
The coming-of-age drama does a great job at capturing the messiness of young love, but off-screen, several of the cast members are in happy, long-term relationships.
—Kelsey Lentz, People.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Debate and occasional messiness is part of normal partisan politics.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 27 Aug. 2025
So, the Jays can put Monday’s messiness behind them.
—Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
So what would a 16 task be in terms of messiness?
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 July 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for messiness
Noun
-
If the mess-maker is solid, use a spatula, dull kitchen knife, or the edge of a credit card to lift it from the surface of the upholstery.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
6 Sep. 2025
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The first crazy thing that happens to the movie Smurls is when a kitchen chandelier almost falls on them, though the most visceral is when oldest sister Dawn Smurl (Beau Gadsdon) suddenly vomits up pieces of glass, leaving the sink and her face a bloody mess.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Bovino relies on Border Patrol SWAT-style teams to avoid the chaos that erupted during an hourslong standoff at a Home Depot in Paramount on June 7.—
Elliot Spagat,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
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This project became both an ethnographic and photographic study of how women inhabit, resist, and reimagine their roles in a context denned by deep contradictions – beauty and chaos, devotion and repression, tradition and transformation.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In jumbles of old stones that, to me, are barely legible as the remains of buildings, Cocon López could see the entire timeline of old Aké and how later people interacted with and repurposed what came before.—
Lizzie Wade,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 May 2025
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Baker also leads the orchestra, which sounds grand — although the sound in the arts center’s Pugh Theater often left musicians, lead singers and chorus all at the same level, with actors speaking over all of it at the same time to create a sonic jumble.—
Matthew J. Palm,
Orlando Sentinel,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
While not all of the federal government’s tariff revenue is at risk, losing a huge chunk would still create havoc on the deficit and bond market.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
7 Sep. 2025
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Steve gently coaxes him back to school, where the film crew is causing havoc.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Indeed, there has been confusion over how many shots were fired when Finicum was killed and who fired them.—
Nicole Blanchard,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Sep. 2025
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But that means there’s even more opportunity for confusion.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Brian is there waiting for her and holy hell are these two into each other.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
29 Aug. 2025
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Yes, there are teams that constantly underwhelm, but the teams that remain talented and in purgatory hell might be worse off.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Messiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messiness. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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