shambles 1 of 2

plural noun

ˈsham-bəlz How to pronounce shambles (audio)
Definition of shamblesnext
1
as in dump
a dirty or messy place this room is a shambles—clean it up right now!

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in mess
a state in which everything is out of order the earthquake left the whole town in a shambles

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

shambles

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of shamble
as in shuffles
to move heavily or clumsily disconsolate and exhausted after losing the match, the wrestler shambled toward the locker room

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shambles
  1. shuffles
  2. stumbles
  3. stomps
Verb
  • As though on cue, Wardrobe — my beloved, and giant, closet — shuffles over from the corner of my room, the mahogany wood groaning with the effort.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 25 June 2026
  • As the entire Qatar back line shuffles closer to the goal, Jonathan David drops off towards the penalty spot to receive the cross in space and shoot first time.
    — Mark Carey, New York Times, 24 June 2026
Definition of shuffles
Verb
  • In it, the man stumbles around, blinded by the sun, surrounded by insensible tourists.
    — Merve Emre, New Yorker, 28 June 2026
  • The conversation stumbles on for a few moments, but Crook can’t find the words.
    — Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 27 June 2026
Definition of stumbles
Verb
  • If anything, the dichotomy between the pop star who prances around Versailles in a sheer nightie and the pop star who stomps onstage in knee-high combat boots feels completely authentic and intentional.
    — Chelsey Sanchez, CNN Money, 25 June 2026
  • Suddenly, the trees part and a Tyrannosaurus rex stomps into view.
    — RJ Mackenzie, Popular Science, 11 June 2026
Definition of stomps
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

shambled
shambles
shambling
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Shambles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shambles. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on shambles

Nglish: Translation of shambles for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All