1
as in messy
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness
a hugger-mugger presentation of the facts of the case that left everyone confused
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clandestine
undertaken or done so as to escape being observed or known by others
a tale of hugger-mugger doings and international espionage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hugger-mugger
Adjective
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But even chips are absent from the formal agenda because the politics are too messy.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
14 May 2026 -
Just to make things even messier and more over-plotted, Sylvie notices a light on for five days straight in an upper-floor apartment, reporting to the cops her concern that the old man who lives there might have died.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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Dark, dim, and a little grungy, with its scuffed checkerboard floors, worn old couches, peeling walls, and chalkboard menus, La Factoria feels like a clandestine underground speakeasy.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 May 2026
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Filling out the role of Ilya is Jay Armstrong Johnson; Jimin Moon plays Shane; Ryann Redmond plays a wine-mom narrator who lives for their clandestine love.—
Dan Stahl,
New Yorker,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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Summa’s 1982 snapshot of a stage diver at a Circle Jerks concert in Reseda is among the best examples of punk’s live and chaotic energy.—
Siran Babayan,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
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Instead, Tuesday‘s finale is shaping up to be one of the state’s most chaotic primary elections in decades.—
Greg Bluestein,
AJC.com,
18 May 2026
Adjective
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Gaff reportedly obliged, providing the undercover detectives with a sample that was subsequently sent through the federal database CODIS, where investigators ultimately linked him to Weaver's murder.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
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Essayli on Monday confirmed that Armstrong became known to the DOJ after an undercover video was posted online by James O'Keefe, the founder of conservative nonprofit Project Veritas.—
Austin Turner,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
Adjective
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These Amazon finds are made for petite travelers who want to stay comfortable without defaulting to sloppy sweats.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
14 May 2026
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Spurs seemed to run out of energy and their passing became sloppy.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Adjective
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Amarteifio and Edebiri have an understated chemistry that makes the covert passion between these two women believable.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2026
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These UUVs are becoming increasingly capable of autonomous operations and performing adaptive search patterns enabling wide area covert operations.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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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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Archaeologists then debated whether the tunnel was some kind of underground agricultural or industrial installation, but its scale and uniqueness in the region ruled out that possibility.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
16 May 2026
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Having been filtered through porous underground lava for decades, Silfra boasts exceptionally pure drinking water.—
Carinne Geil Botta,
Travel + Leisure,
16 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Hugger-mugger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hugger-mugger. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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