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to neaten

to neaten

1 3.7
To make something tidy by arranging things in order
  • verb
  • /ˈniːtən/
translation icon : ordenar
  • If you find any bits that you want to pin back or neaten up, just grab a Bobby pin like this and just put it in place.
  • neaten his hair

I mean, it's, it's a, it's a, it's a yeah, it's an neatening your code when you're gone.

Examples

  • And what I've done is I've neatened up all the end bits, so it's all looking very nice indeed.

  • Mother sent me to neaten up.

  • I'm going to take a wipe and neaten the edges up.

  • She neatened the office, filled her briefcase with paperwork to do at home, and opened the door in time to greet the mailman.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • Joanne busied herself neatening her mother's bedcovers, plumping up pillows, remaining silent.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • Jeff had neatened up his beard with a pair of nail scissors, and Lucilla had ironed his one clean shirt and salvaged his tidiest pair of jeans from the pile of clothes on the laundry floor.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • She asked her children to neaten their rooms before the guests arrived.

  • He quickly neatened the papers on his desk before the meeting began.

  • The gardener will neaten the flower beds by trimming the overgrown edges.

Synonyms

to organize
vsto neaten
  • US
662 1.6

Arrange people, things, and activities so they work well

is simpler, concentrating on physical arranging for neat appearance
to clean up
vsto neaten
433 1.0

To make a room or area free of dirt and tidy by removing mess

is narrower, concentrating on arranging to make things tidy
to arrange
vsto neaten
162 1.7

To put things or information in a clear, neat order

focuses specifically on creating neatness through physical arranging
to straighten
vsto neaten
161 1.6

Make a place or things tidy and in order

emphasises careful arranging to create a planned orderly layout
to lay out
vsto neaten
100 3.1

To arrange items so they are ready and easy to see

is more general, applying to any arranging to make things orderly
to make up
vsto neaten
48 2.6

Tidy a bed or room so it looks neat

is about general tidying through arranging rather than preparing use
to reorganize
vsto neaten
43 3.4

To change the way something is arranged to make it work better

is about making things tidy now rather than creating a new system
to tidy
vsto neaten
42 1.0

To make a place neat by putting things away

focuses on arranging things specifically to create overall neat order
to tidy up
vsto neaten
  • Informal
32 1.5

Make a room or desk neat by putting things in their right place

is about arranging and order rather than deep cleaning tasks
to square away
vsto neaten
  • US
18 3.6

To make something tidy and ready to use

is more about quick physical ordering than full preparation or readiness
to spruce up
vsto neaten
  • Informal
13 3.8

To make yourself or a place look cleaner and nicer

is about arranging and ordering, not mainly about appearance improvements
to straighten out
vsto neaten
12 3.2

To make a place tidy and organized

focuses on arranging items rather than only resolving specific confusion
to straighten up
vsto neaten
8 2.7

Make a room neat by putting things away

stresses arranging items broadly to achieve an orderly appearance
to keep organized
vsto neaten
  • US
4 2.1

To make things tidy and put them in their places

refers to the one-time act of arranging things to make them neat
to spiff
vsto neaten
  • Informal
3 8.0

To make something look neater and more attractive with small changes

focuses on arranging and order rather than small appearance enhancements
to smarten
vsto neaten
3 3.9

To make someone or something look neater and more attractive

is narrower, stressing arranging items to create visible order
to spiff up
vsto neaten
  • Informal
1 7.2

Make a person or place look neater and nicer by cleaning and adding small things

focuses on arranging items to create order rather than styling appearance
to unclutter
vsto neaten
1 4.1

To remove things you do not need to make a place tidy and easier to use

focuses on arranging items to look orderly rather than removing clutter
to smarten up
vsto neaten
  • Informal
1 4.8

Make yourself or a place look neater and more stylish

is about arranging objects methodically to achieve neatness rather than styling
to methodize
vsto neaten
7.5

To arrange things in a clear, ordered way for easy use

is less technical and more about quick arranging for neatness
to defreak
vsto neaten
  • Neologism
9.9

To tidy a messy place and put things in order

is about regular arranging to make things neat rather than emergency fixing
to titivate
vsto neaten
9.3

To make a place or yourself neat and look nicer

focuses on arranging items to be orderly rather than mainly styling

Antonyms

8 4.0

A group of things or people spread over a wide area with no order

4 4.5

To make something lose its order or structure

How Tidy

to organize
  • US
662 1.6
to neaten
1 3.7
to mess up
  • Informal
52 3.0

Surface Forms

neaten infinitive
neatened past
neatened past participle
neatening present participle
neatens third person singular

Morphology

neaten = neat (transparent) = neat + en

The verb is a straightforward '-en' causative/resultative formation from the adjective 'neat' meaning 'make tidy'.

Etymology

Neaten is made from neat (meaning 'tidy') plus the verb ending -en (meaning 'make'), the same ending you see in shorten and brighten. So to neaten something is to 'make it tidy'.