as in chaotic
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness
the office is still topsy-turvy even though we moved in months ago
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in haphazard
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of topsy-turvy
Brianne Kane, Scientific American, 4 Dec. 2025
The absurdity of his vision matches our topsy-turvy reality.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 30 Mar. 2026
Its name – arroz, or rice, spelled backwards – gives a sense of the topsy-turvy flavors that go way beyond rice and fish.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for topsy-turvy
Adjective
While the plot ebbs and flows, the central desire to know more, to reach further than anyone has before you, is very relatable—Kuang is a master at work building a topsy-turvy chessboard for readers to play with.
—Brianne Kane, Scientific American, 4 Dec. 2025
The absurdity of his vision matches our topsy-turvy reality.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
Adverb
Connecticut managed to finish the game on a 22-10 run, shocking Duke after a topsy-turvy final few minutes.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 30 Mar. 2026
Its name – arroz, or rice, spelled backwards – gives a sense of the topsy-turvy flavors that go way beyond rice and fish.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for topsy-turvy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for topsy-turvy
Adjective
-
The ex-con who shot NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller to death during a chaotic Queens car stop was hit Monday with the maximum sentence of 115 years to life behind bars.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
-
With less than a year until Chicago’s next mayoral election and amid a growing field of prospective candidates, more city residents hold a dim view of incumbent Brandon Johnson than a positive one about his often-chaotic first term at City Hall, a new poll shows.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Everything was hot, simple and a little messy in the best way.—
Melissa Oyler,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Shared spaces were left messy, personal belongings spread throughout the house, decor rearranged and boundaries ignored.—
Abigail Van Buren,
Boston Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Although the ingredients may seem haphazardly thrown together, and the dough is prepared to the unique style of the pizzaiolo, the process is meticulous and the outcome is often a masterpiece.—
Tim Meehan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Often, the bowls are sitting on the bottom shelf amidst the glassware with a number of matching—or mismatched—glasses haphazardly thrown inside.—
Heather Bien,
Southern Living,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Charmed at first, Nella soon becomes confused and suspicious of her alleged ally as their approaches to racial bias and diversity begin to sharply diverge and the story, told through a past and present timeline, unravels with unexpected twists.—
Laura Zigman,
PEOPLE,
2 May 2026
-
Westminster Mayor Chi Charlie Nguyen showed the new signage in a Facebook post that’s garnered more than 14,000 likes and comments combined — responses spanning from supportive and celebratory, to confused and inflammatory.—
Paris Barraza,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
After years of being mummified in scaffolding on Oxford Street, the former West Olympia Theatre has reemerged as 25hours Hotel The Olympia, a riotously fun, high-voltage new entrant to Sydney’s hotel scene.—
Travel + Leisure Editors,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Details of who found them and where were also vague, with one popular story featuring a hungry cow riotously disturbing the earth to reveal a ceramic container.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In the past, her songs were so littered with personal details that listening felt voyeuristic.—
Madison Bloom,
Pitchfork,
31 Mar. 2026
-
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
Adverb
-
Windshield after windshield smashed in Linden Surveillance video from a Linden apartment complex shows a person in the early hours of Monday morning drive up, get out of his vehicle and throw bricks through the windshields of parked cars, chucking them aimlessly from multiple launch points.—
Allen Devlin,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Scrolling your phone aimlessly can feel awkward.—
Lauren Schuster,
Sacbee.com,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But the Pistons were sloppy with the ball and careless overall in a 94-88 loss to the Orlando Magic on Monday night, falling behind 3-1 in their first-round Eastern Conference series.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The Wolves started out sloppy with nine first-quarter turnovers and finished with 25.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Topsy-turvy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/topsy-turvy. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
