neatening

present participle of neaten

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 neatening If your shrub is mostly dead at the bottom, try shaping it into an attractive tree form by removing lower limbs and neatening the top. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 25 Apr. 2026 Several people milled around, neatening the area, touching up Cage’s makeup. — Susan Orlean, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for neatening
Verb
  • Rather than trimming that weight, Fukushima's lab asked whether anything needed to be worn at all.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Spectator interference became the ruling, and Volpe was awarded an RBI double that scored Lombard from first base, trimming Tampa Bay's lead to 4-3.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Workers are organizing at manufacturing plants, in newsrooms, in technology, in hospitals, on college campuses, and construction sites.
    — Liz Shuler, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The area of opportunity for the Democratic Party continues to be a tendency to concentrate resources and organizing around major elections.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Yana also admitted arranging questionable free transportation for his supporters at his political rallies.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • As with the traditional Rubik’s Cube, players wrestle with arranging the small square pieces into a 3 x 3 x 3 square.
    — Richard Eisenberg, Time, 15 Oct. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster