shambles 1 of 2

plural noun

ˈsham-bəlz How to pronounce shambles (audio)
Definition of shamblesnext
1
as in dump
a dirty or messy place this room is a shambles—clean it up right now!

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in mess
a state in which everything is out of order the earthquake left the whole town in a shambles

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

shambles

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of shamble
as in shuffles
to move heavily or clumsily disconsolate and exhausted after losing the match, the wrestler shambled toward the locker room

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shambles
  1. shuffles
  2. stumbles
  3. stomps
Verb
  • The line shuffles forward quickly, and my heart knots in my chest as Heartfillers are dosed to each person up ahead.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026
  • In the clip, Dawkins shuffles out onto the field with no shirt, a pair of Crocs and a clear plastic bag ready to get the ol' inside-out treatment.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of shuffles
Verb
  • In the movie, the two actors first cross paths when Ledger’s character stumbles upon Bettany, who is fully naked, strolling through the streets after losing his clothes and money from gambling.
    — Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Shortly after, a young man stumbles towards Pat from the direction of the pub, rubbing his eyes in disbelief.
    — Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of stumbles
Verb
  • The need for data Inside the headquarters of UBTech Robotics, one of China’s biggest humanoid robot firms, a silver-and-black mannequin picks up a box, stomps across the floor, and mechanically places the box on a shelf.
    — Ann Scott Tyson, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Achord bounces on his toes like an impatient little kid watching his guys work, stomps his right foot on the ground and vaults his right arm forward to demonstrate how someone should return a kick.
    — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of stomps
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Shambles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shambles. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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