as in tidy
being clean and in good order
a distinguished-looking gentleman with a kempt beard and an old-world manner
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Recent Examples of kempt
The creeping ivy of rap had crawled over their white picket fences, across their kempt green lawns, and around their Victorian homes, weakening the old walls between cultures.
—
Jonathan Rowe, SPIN, 5 June 2023
The whole place is well kempt.
—Amanda Walker, al, 15 Aug. 2020
There was a whiff of mystery, a sense that something more was going on behind those well-kempt exteriors.
—Aaron Gilbreath, Longreads, 9 Feb. 2018
Silence your internal neat freak A well-kempt garden is the toad’s worst enemy.
—Molly Marquand, Good Housekeeping, 16 May 2017
A well-kempt courtyard for visitors conceals the prison’s overcrowding—stuffed to nine times its capacity with up to 250 women sharing a cell.
—National Geographic, 19 Oct. 2016
Jonathan Rowe, SPIN, 5 June 2023
The whole place is well kempt.
—Amanda Walker, al, 15 Aug. 2020
There was a whiff of mystery, a sense that something more was going on behind those well-kempt exteriors.
—Aaron Gilbreath, Longreads, 9 Feb. 2018
Silence your internal neat freak A well-kempt garden is the toad’s worst enemy.
—Molly Marquand, Good Housekeeping, 16 May 2017
A well-kempt courtyard for visitors conceals the prison’s overcrowding—stuffed to nine times its capacity with up to 250 women sharing a cell.
—National Geographic, 19 Oct. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kempt
Adjective
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The beds are arranged in tidy rows and planted with vegetables.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Use a cord management system to keep your cables tidy and hidden.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Separating garden areas will keep your vegetable plantings neat and orderly, which makes weeding and harvesting easier.—
Peg Aloi,
The Spruce,
5 Feb. 2026
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Rochelle typed six section signs — § — in a neat column at the top of the page.—
Jayme Fraser,
USA Today,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Expect to see warmer, richer colors in their place—like muted terracotta, ochre, clay, olive, and rich browns—woven into wood paneling, trim, fabrics, and stone.—
Sarah Lyon,
The Spruce,
6 Feb. 2026
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Spiber and AMSilk are exploring ways to safely recycle or biodegrade seat covers and trim.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Kempt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kempt. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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