cluttered; cluttering; clutters
chiefly dialectal
: to run in disorder
: to fill or cover with scattered or disordered things that impede movement or reduce effectiveness
a room cluttered with toys
—often used with upToo many signs were cluttering up the street corner.
1
a
: a crowded or confused mass or collection
a clutter of motels and restaurants
b
: things that clutter a place
tried to minimize the unnecessary clutter in her house
2
: interfering radar echoes caused by reflection from objects (as on the ground) other than the target
3
chiefly dialectal
: disturbance, hubbub
Synonyms
Noun
- agglomerate
- agglomeration
- alphabet soup
- assortment
- botch
- collage
- crazy quilt
- farrago
- gallimaufry
- grab bag
- gumbo
- hash
- hodgepodge
- hotchpotch
- jambalaya
- jumble
- jungle
- litter
- macédoine
- medley
- mélange
- menagerie
- miscellanea
- miscellany
- mishmash
- mixed bag
- montage
- motley
- muddle
- olio
- olla podrida
- omnium-gatherum
- pastiche
- patchwork
- patchwork quilt
- potpourri
- ragbag
- ragout
- rummage
- salad
- salmagundi
- scramble
- shuffle
- smorgasbord
- stew
- tumble
- variety
- welter
Examples of clutter in a Sentence
Verb
The garage was cluttered with tools.
Try to avoid cluttering your desk with books and papers.
Noun
There's a lot of unnecessary clutter in the house.
a scrapbook that was a clutter of snapshots, diary entries, letters, and newspaper clippings
Recent Examples on the Web
Rhett Power, Rolling Stone, 9 July 2024
This is an overdue but good start from the U.S.
Although commerce might be the bulk source of space debris, the militarization of space has had and will continue to play a role in cluttering orbits.
—The Editors, Scientific American, 17 May 2024
Rachel Davies, Architectural Digest, 3 July 2024
Mysterious objects are discovered among the man's clutter, however, unearthing secrets and buried tension.
—Lindsay Kimble, Peoplemag, 17 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for clutter 
Verb
This is a call to release the material and emotional baggage that clutters our lives.
—Rhett Power, Rolling Stone, 9 July 2024
This is an overdue but good start from the U.S.
Although commerce might be the bulk source of space debris, the militarization of space has had and will continue to play a role in cluttering orbits.
—The Editors, Scientific American, 17 May 2024
Noun
With wood paneling, a normal amount of clutter, and a humble stained glass panel in the window, the couple’s house provides a humdrum backdrop that foils the disturbing events that take place inside.
—Rachel Davies, Architectural Digest, 3 July 2024
Mysterious objects are discovered among the man's clutter, however, unearthing secrets and buried tension.
—Lindsay Kimble, Peoplemag, 17 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for clutter
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clutter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near clutter
Cite this Entry
“Clutter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clutter. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
clutter
1 of 2 verb
clut·ter
ˈklət-ər 
: to fill or cover with a disorderly scattering of things
clutter up a room
clutter
2 of 2 noun
: a crowded or confused collection
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