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
For better or worse, Dawson served as an emotional, often cautionary, proxy for millennials’ own coming-of-age messiness.
—
Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2026
It’s widely understood that to shop secondhand is to enter into a treasure hunt, where messiness is permitted and persistence is rewarded with bargains and unique items.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
Erdoğan’s speeches are full of practical advice about how to destroy the left, such as calling progressives lazy, impractical alcoholics funded by globalist lobbies and contrasting the efficiency of an imperial president with the messiness of parliamentary policymaking.
—Kaya Genç, The Dial, 3 Feb. 2026
Though the rope suggests tidy metaphors of unity, coherence, and formal integrity, a playful but insistent messiness effloresces in Simms’s entanglements, throwing any seeming wholeness into question.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2026
The trio has great comedic chemistry, with Marissa constantly exchanging witty barbs with Jamie and barking orders at Harper, while the latter two bond over their mutual messiness.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 26 Jan. 2026
As a writer, Conrad—who sold his first screenplay at the age of 19—has always been interested in messiness.
—Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 22 Jan. 2026
Humor, messiness, and unoptimized storytelling are once again what cut through.
—Katie Salcius, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Even at her most toxic, there’s an unconditional love underneath all the messiness.
—Shawna Seed, Dallas Morning News, 15 Jan. 2026
Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2026
It’s widely understood that to shop secondhand is to enter into a treasure hunt, where messiness is permitted and persistence is rewarded with bargains and unique items.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
Erdoğan’s speeches are full of practical advice about how to destroy the left, such as calling progressives lazy, impractical alcoholics funded by globalist lobbies and contrasting the efficiency of an imperial president with the messiness of parliamentary policymaking.
—Kaya Genç, The Dial, 3 Feb. 2026
Though the rope suggests tidy metaphors of unity, coherence, and formal integrity, a playful but insistent messiness effloresces in Simms’s entanglements, throwing any seeming wholeness into question.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2026
The trio has great comedic chemistry, with Marissa constantly exchanging witty barbs with Jamie and barking orders at Harper, while the latter two bond over their mutual messiness.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 26 Jan. 2026
As a writer, Conrad—who sold his first screenplay at the age of 19—has always been interested in messiness.
—Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 22 Jan. 2026
Humor, messiness, and unoptimized storytelling are once again what cut through.
—Katie Salcius, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Even at her most toxic, there’s an unconditional love underneath all the messiness.
—Shawna Seed, Dallas Morning News, 15 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for messiness
Noun
-
Specifically, the bench is a dysfunctional mess.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
-
And now we’re stuck having to clean up this mess.—
Claudia Levens,
jsonline.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Despite the chaos of very many demands, the bar staff remains attentive and quick on their feet.—
Jessica Chapel,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Feb. 2026
-
But just as there’s a difference between depicting chaos and depicting chaotically, there’s a difference between presenting theatergoers with a realistic image of mental illness and driving an audience nuts.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Macaroons are chewy jumbles of coconut bound together with egg whites and sweetened condensed milk.—
Lynda Balslev,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The result also spotlights conference championships’ awkward fit in the current system, particularly given the fact that conference expansion has led to jumbles atop each league’s standings.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
7 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Ebba Andersson tumbled and snapped the ski binding in the second leg, giving Norway the advantage on a day where warm weather caused slushy corners that created havoc in the early stages.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Three minutes of comedy chasing and evasive action ensued before play resumed, only for the four-legged fiend to return to wreak more havoc than the home attack had previously shown.—
Craig Chisnall,
New York Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The crossing was closed Friday and Saturday because of confusion around operations.—
SAMY MAGDY,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Former Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt felt that there would be confusion over the fact that the Super Bowl itself took place the year after the NFL’s regular-season games.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Having earned degrees in political science and history at Ohio’s Miami University, Nixon was arguably over-qualified to be a roots-rocking, hell-raising provocateur who somehow was embraced by MTV for several years and went on to become the host of several shows on Sirius XM Radio.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
-
It is said that during Ramadan, the gates of heaven are opened and the gates of hell are closed.—
Lianna Norman,
Florida Times-Union,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Messiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messiness. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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