as in tidy
being clean and in good order
a distinguished-looking gentleman with a kempt beard and an old-world manner
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of kempt
The creeping ivy of rap had crawled over their white picket fences, across their kempt green lawns, and around their Victorian homes, weakening the old walls between cultures.
—
Jonathan Rowe, SPIN, 5 June 2023
The whole place is well kempt.
—Amanda Walker, al, 15 Aug. 2020
Silence your internal neat freak A well-kempt garden is the toad’s worst enemy.
—Molly Marquand, Good Housekeeping, 16 May 2017
There was a whiff of mystery, a sense that something more was going on behind those well-kempt exteriors.
—Aaron Gilbreath, Longreads, 9 Feb. 2018
A well-kempt courtyard for visitors conceals the prison’s overcrowding—stuffed to nine times its capacity with up to 250 women sharing a cell.
—National Geographic, 19 Oct. 2016
Jonathan Rowe, SPIN, 5 June 2023
The whole place is well kempt.
—Amanda Walker, al, 15 Aug. 2020
Silence your internal neat freak A well-kempt garden is the toad’s worst enemy.
—Molly Marquand, Good Housekeeping, 16 May 2017
There was a whiff of mystery, a sense that something more was going on behind those well-kempt exteriors.
—Aaron Gilbreath, Longreads, 9 Feb. 2018
A well-kempt courtyard for visitors conceals the prison’s overcrowding—stuffed to nine times its capacity with up to 250 women sharing a cell.
—National Geographic, 19 Oct. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kempt
Adjective
-
Of course, those who steeled themselves and bought into the selloff have seen a tidy profit.—
Michael Foster,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
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According to Sheriff Nettleton, Dal las was clean and kept a tidy camp.—
Jim Zumbo,
Outdoor Life,
17 July 2025
Adjective
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With its subtly ridged trim, bust-flattering bow accent, lightweight jersey fabric, and hot-right-now butter yellow color, the camisole checks all our boxes and should be worn with Dairy Boy’s Butter Sleep Short for maximum effect.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
15 July 2025
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And don’t forget the little details, such as trim on upholstered pieces and window treatments, which can elevate the design.—
Elizabeth Stamp,
Architectural Digest,
2 July 2025
Adjective
-
Sean's going to give you the set-up on Cboe stock, which has been moving in a tightly wound, neat little uptrend all summer long.—
Josh Brown,Sean Russo,
CNBC,
24 July 2025
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That last one is especially neat, considering that phone keyboard typing averages at about 36 words a minute.—
Abhimanyu Ghoshal,
New Atlas,
23 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kempt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kempt. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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