HUGGER-MUGGER Synonyms: 177 Similar and Opposite Words

hugger-mugger

adjective

Definition of hugger-mugger

as in messy

lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness a hugger-mugger presentation of the facts of the case that left everyone confused

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in clandestine

undertaken or done so as to escape being observed or known by others a tale of hugger-mugger doings and international espionage

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hugger-mugger

Adjective

In art, as in life, the messy materiality of flesh fazes me not one whit.

— Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
View gallery - 4 images For all the extraordinary things that consumer 3D printers can produce, changing color has remained a surprisingly messy business.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of messy

Adjective

Bridgers’ tour restricts phones, so the reader’s account had to stand in for the clandestine photo that might otherwise have accompanied the sighting.

— Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026
The Soviet Union operated an extensive clandestine biological weapons program despite being a party to the Biological Weapons Convention.

— Krutika Kuppalli, STAT, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of clandestine

Adjective

Week 7 of the 2026 college football season will go down as one of the most chaotic ever, with five Top 10 teams suffering losses, and the newest AP Top 25 Poll reflects the craziness that unfolded.

— Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
While the weather painted a chaotic picture, stories from Malibu residents were of neighbors coming together as a community in a way only the specter of disaster could prompt.

— Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of chaotic

Adjective

But his father, also named William, became a supporter — and even went undercover of sorts at her 2021 fraud trial.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
The federal indictment identifies instructions directing undercover Cuban spies not to fly with Brothers to the Rescue around the time of the attack.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of undercover

Adjective

This year has seen several notable incidents involving both overt and covert threats to undersea infrastructure, including Iranian efforts to impose fees on operators of undersea cables running through the contested Strait of Hormuz.

— Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026
From hippies to covert racists, psychedelics to cult-like workshop leaders, this is a world where any difference is still scrutinized and looked down on.

— Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of covert

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

Definition of littered

Adjective

Deep underground, iron-rich rocks could hold the key to producing hydrogen at a fraction of the cost of conventional fuels.

— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 18 Oct. 2026
Additionally, the estate includes elevator service to all three floors, 25-yard lap pool, outdoor kitchen, veranda with stone fireplace and underground seven-car garage with Tesla charging station.

— Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of underground

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hugged

hugger-mugger

hugging

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“Hugger-mugger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hugger-mugger. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of hugger-mugger

adjective

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