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
Hirschhorn’s Josh manages to be endearing even when the character’s messiness and selfishness overwhelm him.
—
Chad Jones, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025
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
Chad Jones, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for messiness
Noun
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Other cuts start as pop songs before crashing into atonal messes and freak rock chaos.—
Jed Gottlieb,
Boston Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
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Vacmaster Portable Carpet Cleaner Utilizing 15 kilopascals of suction power, the cleaner shampoos carpeted and upholstered surfaces to break up tough messes.—
Maggie Horton,
PEOPLE,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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By absorbing the frenzied reverence, the Saja Boys can break through the Honmoon, a fictional barrier that protects humans from the demon world, which would unleash chaos.—
Yvonne Kim,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
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These picks are designed to make getting around smoother, way more efficient, and to help frequent fliers avoid travel chaos (think tangled necklaces, dead phone batteries, and neck strains).—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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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
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Turner made some key adjustments at the plate for this season to focus on creating havoc on the basepaths rather than hitting just for power.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
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Offensive line woes help Falcons cause havoc There were other issues leading to the problems that McCarthy faced, including injuries to backup left tackle Justin Skule and center Ryan Kelly.—
Steve Silverman,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The 30-hour search for a suspect Across the country, the killing of the prominent political figure and media personality – the latest in a string of political violence incidents – had sowed shock and confusion.—
Dalia Faheid,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
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In one notable instance, antipathy toward business has led to confusion and unnecessary tension.—
Kerry Jackson,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Also, sometimes the lure of carry is the shortest way to hell.—
Vineer Bhansali,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Eventually, the warden showed up and welcomed them to el infierno—hell.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Messiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/messiness. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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