as in messy
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness
the frantic search left the room upside-down
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Recent Examples of upside-down
Isabel, for instance, is introduced upside-down, lying on the grass, under the spray of one of the many sprinklers that water the course in a sort of mechanical ballet.
—
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2026
This ridiculously easy twist on a traditional pineapple upside-down cake is just as delicious and only calls for five ingredients.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 3 Feb. 2026
But out of everything, the archive’s most astonishing component is a series of home movies that allegedly capture impromptu moments of psychokinetic activity within an upside-down fish tank.
—Shannon Taggart, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
Lift your hips towards the ceiling, forming an upside-down V shape with your body.
—Rikkilynn Shields Hannigan, Health, 31 Jan. 2026
WonderWorks and its upside-down building begin to turn heads on International Drive.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Jan. 2026
First responders arrived at the scene less than a minute after the conversation about the upside-down aircraft, airport director Jose Saavedra said, according to the Associated Press.
—Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
To understand the evolution of sleep, Appelbaum and his colleagues focused on upside-down jellyfish (Cassiopea andromeda) and the starlet sea anemone (Nematostella vectensis).
—New Atlas, 24 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, postpartum products such as maxi pads, cooling pads, witch hazel and an upside-down peri bottle all take the stress out of using the bathroom after giving birth.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 22 Jan. 2026
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2026
This ridiculously easy twist on a traditional pineapple upside-down cake is just as delicious and only calls for five ingredients.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 3 Feb. 2026
But out of everything, the archive’s most astonishing component is a series of home movies that allegedly capture impromptu moments of psychokinetic activity within an upside-down fish tank.
—Shannon Taggart, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
Lift your hips towards the ceiling, forming an upside-down V shape with your body.
—Rikkilynn Shields Hannigan, Health, 31 Jan. 2026
WonderWorks and its upside-down building begin to turn heads on International Drive.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Jan. 2026
First responders arrived at the scene less than a minute after the conversation about the upside-down aircraft, airport director Jose Saavedra said, according to the Associated Press.
—Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
To understand the evolution of sleep, Appelbaum and his colleagues focused on upside-down jellyfish (Cassiopea andromeda) and the starlet sea anemone (Nematostella vectensis).
—New Atlas, 24 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, postpartum products such as maxi pads, cooling pads, witch hazel and an upside-down peri bottle all take the stress out of using the bathroom after giving birth.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 22 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upside-down
Adjective
-
In this case, that ball happens to be the complex that serves as the symbolic seat of the nation’s vibrant, messy, questioning, deeply political and hugely alive arts and culture scene.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
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Scuffs and chips will show up quickly, requiring frequent touch-ups that can end up creating messy layers.—
Asia London Palomba,
The Spruce,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
His piece of genius separated the sides entering the 84th minute but during a chaotic finale, the hosts conspired to grab defeat from the jaws of victory.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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But Biden quickly sank in the late summer and fall, due in large part to a chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal and rising prices.—
Craig Gilbert,
jsonline.com,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The series does not touch on the tabloid attention that followed the Beckhams in 2004, when it was alleged that David had an affair with his personal assistant, Rebecca Loos, and the many further accusations of cheating that littered gossip columns after.—
Scarlett Harris,
Time,
9 Oct. 2025
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Cigarette butts are the most littered item on the planet.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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But someone in mental decline may go way out of their way or get very confused.—
Doug Turnbull,
AJC.com,
8 Feb. 2026
-
But Michele and Jesse Foster just seemed confused when the procession passed them on the street corner.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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At times, Epstein characterized the billionaire’s office as sloppy and amateurish, exposing him to taxes and reputational risks while making sensitive payments.—
Tom Schoenberg,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The Heat also ran into its own sloppy play, committing 19 turnovers.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The standings are pretty jumbled, and those eight selections are currently only a few games apart.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The musical, which examines in jumbled chronology the five-year relationship between novelist Jamie and actress Cathy, debuted in Chicago in 2001 and opened Off Broadway the following year.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
3 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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There’s nothing loud or cluttered going on here, nor any great insistence on tradition or overt Englishness.—
Lydia Bell,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Feb. 2026
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Or maybe convert that cluttered garage into a rental to bring in some extra cash?—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Upside-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upside-down. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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