1
as in corrupt
having or showing lowered moral character or standards
there's something unclean about this whole business
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in filthy
not clean
a lackadaisical waiter who tried to set our table with smudged glasses and unclean silverware
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unclean
Inspectors also said floors throughout the kitchen were unclean.
—
Camila Pedrosa, Sacramento Bee, 17 Jan. 2025
Inspectors observed dirty food items in contact with kitchen shelves, unclean kitchen equipment, cross contamination, inadequate hand washing practices and lack of food-handler certification.
—Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Jan. 2025
In that moment, fears of unclean needles, an allergic reaction, or even permanent damage ran through her mind.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 13 Jan. 2025
The convenience store received health citations for major issues including unclean surfaces and improper food storage.
—Hannah Poukish, Sacramento Bee, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unclean
Camila Pedrosa, Sacramento Bee, 17 Jan. 2025
Inspectors observed dirty food items in contact with kitchen shelves, unclean kitchen equipment, cross contamination, inadequate hand washing practices and lack of food-handler certification.
—Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Jan. 2025
In that moment, fears of unclean needles, an allergic reaction, or even permanent damage ran through her mind.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 13 Jan. 2025
The convenience store received health citations for major issues including unclean surfaces and improper food storage.
—Hannah Poukish, Sacramento Bee, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unclean
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unclean
Adjective
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Lars von Trier’s The Kingdom is a soap opera about a hospital where the doctors aren’t good-looking or vibrating with noble sentiment but generally corrupt or insane.—
Adam Thirlwell,
The New York Review of Books,
20 Mar. 2025
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The Filipino-language thriller follows Dahlia, a disillusioned police aide who steals money from the safe of her corrupt police chief boss, distributing it to slum dwellers whose homes were destroyed.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Chicagoans will have no one to hold accountable at the ballot box when the buses don’t arrive and rail stations are filthy and crime-ridden.—
Forrest Claypool,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Mar. 2025
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The plastic waste China received was filthy, much of it too dirty to be cleaned, shredded, and turned into new plastic.—
Scott W. Stern,
The Atlantic,
10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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For the past week and a half, the phone has been ringing off the hook at SeaWorld’s rescue program as an algae bloom in coastal waters has caused a surge of sick marine mammals and birds.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Mar. 2025
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This has not been a good week for United, which was also accused of trying to shut off the ventilator of a sick one-year-old child.—
Michael Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Not worrying about getting dirty or anything like that.—
Kayla Grant,
People.com,
21 Mar. 2025
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These guys are out here sweating, getting their hands dirty.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacramento Bee,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Users still using the TikTok app following a ban can also expect a degraded experience, as the app will be forced to rely on foreign servers, potentially resulting in slower performance for American users.—
Esat Dedezade,
Forbes,
14 Jan. 2025
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Meier is among the authors of a WWF report that outlines steps towards restoring, conserving, and sustainably managing grasslands, and urges for them to be included in global UN targets aiming to restore 30% of degraded ecosystems and 30% of terrestrial and aquatic environments by 2030.—
Jacopo Prisco,
CNN,
6 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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This can get unsanitary since the dust can circulate in the air of your home, and for some models, dusty coils can affect how efficiently your fridge cools.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
30 Mar. 2025
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The petrified bones of extinct horses, ground sloths, cheetahs and bears have been uncovered from the dusty layers of time exposed here.—
Ernie Cowan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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In its time open, fueled by fans of its blackened mahi and buttery lobster rolls, owner Mike Smith has expanded his footprint, moving into a larger stall in the popular food hall — which has allowed for a menu expansion, as well.—
Amy Drew Thompson,
Orlando Sentinel,
6 Dec. 2022
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There are no glamorous furnishings — just a French window, its blackened panes suggesting the dark of night.—
Christopher Knight,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Oct. 2022
Adjective
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The search effort -- which included law enforcement and military personnel from several countries -- was complicated by the muddy conditions and unstable ground, officials said.—
Emily Shapiro,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2025
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In the summer of ’69, hundreds of thousands of people converged on a muddy New York farm to soak in music by artists that Pink Floyd had gigged with: Jimi Hendrix, the Who, and Ten Years After, among them.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
28 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unclean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unclean. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.
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