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messy

[mes-ee] / ˈmɛs i /


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

I would describe it as a situation rather than a messy love triangle — only because one interesting thing about the show is that these people are not 23.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026

The appeal of strips is based on convenience: Pills can be hard to swallow, powders can be messy and gummies can be sugary.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

"In reality, grief is messy, unpredictable and deeply individual. People move back and forth between feelings, and the idea of a tidy, linear process simply doesn't reflect how grief actually works."

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

Although it was messy at times, the Jets seem to have a fine defence, with eight sacks on Deshaun Watson in their 17-12 success.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

Thaya Jaan looks frail, and his hair and beard are uncharacteristically messy.

From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan

Black holes are often compared with cosmic vacuum cleaners, but their feeding behavior is much messier.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 21, 2026

The Dodgers will save the messier celebration for clinching the division.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026

Love has always been central to FLO's music, but on this album they explore its messier realities, with nights out providing the backdrop for stories of heartbreak, healing and friendship.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

It becomes a little compressed, a little messier and somehow more itself.

From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026

Diego’s bathroom was messier and more disorganized than his bedroom.

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson

Of all the fronts in the AI wars—funding, electricity, chips—the messiest is the fight for human capital.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 25, 2026

A place where country music, with all its contradictions and complexities, embraces its messiest, queerest, most joyful self.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 9, 2025

Once China’s most prolific property developer, China Evergrande may soon be its biggest and messiest corporate breakup.

From New York Times ● Dec. 3, 2023

The messiest divorce in Seahawks history will be all but forgotten as two Super Bowl winners reminisce on the good times and block out the gloomy ones.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 28, 2023

The area around my bed was the messiest part of the room, except for the area under my bed, which was even worse.

From "Kira-Kira" by Cynthia Kadohata


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