messy

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.

In the race to replace Gavin Newsom as governor, an initially messy field tightened into a three-way race between Democrats Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer and Republican Steve Hilton.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

On the island, dissidents were a messy nuisance.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

From the messy set of ‘Apocalypse Now’ to the secret edits of ‘Star Wars,’ author Paul Fischer pulls back the curtain on how Coppola, Lucas and Spielberg gambled their friendships to build the modern blockbuster.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026

In another, Work and Pensions Minister Torsten Bell describes the process of government as "messy", and complains that "everyone seems to think it's someone else's job to get the policy right".

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026

This place was my perfect match, and I’d had enough of running the other way when life got messy.

From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry