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
Valerie Mesa, People.com, 1 Nov. 2024
Such permits can clutter the regulatory landscape without offering significant public benefits.
—James Broughel, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2024
Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2024
Start by clearing the surface of any clutter and dishes, and wipe up any major spills.
—Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for clutter 
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show current usage.
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Verb
Think about letting go of anything cluttering your mental space — this could be tackling that intimidating credit card balance or finding closure in a complicated relationship.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 1 Nov. 2024
Such permits can clutter the regulatory landscape without offering significant public benefits.
—James Broughel, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2024
Noun
To break through the clutter, everyone is looking for IP, something that will tempt an audience to sample a show.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2024
Start by clearing the surface of any clutter and dishes, and wipe up any major spills.
—Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for clutter
Dictionary Entries Near clutter
Cite this Entry
“Clutter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clutter. Accessed 22 Nov. 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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