1
as in corrupt
having or showing lowered moral character or standards
there's something unclean about this whole business
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in filthy
not clean
a lackadaisical waiter who tried to set our table with smudged glasses and unclean silverware
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of unclean
The ways in which houses can be infested by unclean spirits are varied.
—
Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
His bedsheets were unclean, and the delivery person for our takeout knew him by name.
—Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 17 Dec. 2025
The November conference report details several complaints made against the hotel in 2024, ranging from outdated fire extinguishers and unclean bedding to bedbugs and roaches in rooms.
—Keely Doll, Louisville Courier Journal, 25 Nov. 2025
The frequent graffiti and unclean environments seen months ago are rare now.
—Jason Henry, Daily News, 23 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unclean
Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
His bedsheets were unclean, and the delivery person for our takeout knew him by name.
—Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 17 Dec. 2025
The November conference report details several complaints made against the hotel in 2024, ranging from outdated fire extinguishers and unclean bedding to bedbugs and roaches in rooms.
—Keely Doll, Louisville Courier Journal, 25 Nov. 2025
The frequent graffiti and unclean environments seen months ago are rare now.
—Jason Henry, Daily News, 23 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unclean
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unclean
Adjective
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There, the political and commercial elites don’t shy away from murder to defend potentially corrupt schemes.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Feb. 2026
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Harrowing revelations about corrupt leaders, child rape and grooming come to the fore, and a stop-clock on the back wall counts down the minutes and seconds until the play’s most paralyzing realization.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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This neighborhood, peopled almost entirely by the people who claim to have been driven from Poland and Russia, is the eyesore of New York and perhaps the filthiest place on the western continent.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
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Rodents, roaches, flies and knives stored in filthy places were among the myriad violations on this week’s Sick and Shut Down List of South Florida restaurants that failed state inspection.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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And the American health care system isn't set up to help people get through it, Mauldin outlines in the book, by way of inaccessible health care, lack of caregiver supports, expensive treatments and an overall de-valuing of sick people and those with disabilities.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
9 Feb. 2026
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In January 2025, a hospital in West Texas began reporting that children were coming in sick with measles.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Yet, even as India remains wedded to the dirtiest fossil fuel, its coal consumption is roughly 40% of China’s at the same stage of development, Ember found.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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Camperlab also experimented with bleaching, dirty tints and shades of pink.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The patriarch’s rage at feeling degraded in America turns the home into a war zone.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
1 Feb. 2026
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The company acknowledges that direct recycling will not replace chemical methods entirely, particularly for mixed or degraded end-of-life batteries.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The guest-only Chapel Club has a more plush, salon-like feel and there’s more than a hint of naughtiness with stained glass windows casting color onto the sensual artworks.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Jan. 2026
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How To Remove Types Of Mattress Stains Step-By-Step Vacuum the mattress and stained area.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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This one, in a dusty olive green, has a high pile texture and subtle geometric design for the right amount of visual interest.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
13 Feb. 2026
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Mattresses and questionably clean bedding were dredged up, dusty couches cleared of detritus.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The land, unfenced, abuts a bald blackened hillside that must be public land.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Aug. 2025
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In its time open, fueled by fans of its blackened mahi and buttery lobster rolls, owner Mike Smith has expanded his footprint, moving into a larger stall in the popular food hall — which has allowed for a menu expansion, as well.—
Amy Drew Thompson,
Orlando Sentinel,
6 Dec. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Unclean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unclean. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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