can be littered

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "can be littered" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation where something is filled or scattered with unwanted items or elements. Example: "The beach can be littered with trash after a busy holiday weekend."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

The National's production of War Horse won best play and best direction this year at the Tonys, while best actor went to Mark Rylance for his phenomenal turn as Johnny "Rooster" Byron in Jez Butterworth's Jerusalem, which proved among much else that a Broadway show can be littered with swearwords and in-jokes about Swindon, provided it's good enough.

The Guardian

The premise is simple: you sign up and get brought to your start page, which can be littered with well-designed widgets that let you search Google and Yahoo at the same time, check up on your Twitter feed, work with Facebook, check your stocks, and much more, without surfing to the respective sites.

TechCrunch

These resumes can be littered with confusing acronyms unfamiliar to civilian hiring managers.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

Food packages and coca cola cans are littered throughout the kitchen.

Vice

Pros and cons: Rabbits are playful, can be litter-box trained and will come when called, making them great companion animals.

The Washington Post

As he wandered around the shop cradling the 12-week-old bunny, Ms. Edwards recalled, "people started telling us how trainable rabbits are — how they can be litter-box-trained and you can let them out of their cages".

The New York Times

Cleaning the cage: Rats can get messy but they can be litter trained in a similar way to cats to make cleaning easier instead of having poop everywhere.

WikiHow

The rewards program is funded by the sale of the collected waste and through corporate sponsorships from the likes of Coca-Cola — which joined after learning that many of its bottles and cans were littering the streets of Lagos, Adebiyi says.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

I set out to make Chinese-style wings, but the path from concept to realized dish can often be littered with somewhat less than stellar results.

The New York Times

The output of social design feedback can also be littered with comments of low usefulness.

Human-centric Computing and Information Sciences

Make sure you have plenty of trash cans or your zoo will be littered with trash.

WikiHow

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "can be littered", ensure the context clearly indicates what is scattered and why it's undesirable. For example, "The path to success can be littered with setbacks" uses the phrase metaphorically to describe challenges.

Common error

Avoid overuse of passive constructions like "can be littered". While grammatically correct, excessive passive voice can make writing sound weak. Consider rewriting sentences in the active voice for a more direct and impactful style. For example, instead of "The park can be littered by careless visitors", try "Careless visitors can litter the park".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "can be littered" functions as a passive construction indicating a potential or habitual state of being covered with unwanted items. Ludwig's examples illustrate its use in both literal and metaphorical contexts, describing physical spaces and abstract concepts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

48%

Science

38%

Wiki

14%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "can be littered" is a grammatically sound passive construction used to describe the potential for something to become covered with unwanted items or elements. According to Ludwig, its usage spans diverse contexts, from literal descriptions of trash-filled spaces to metaphorical representations of challenges and setbacks. While not overwhelmingly frequent, the phrase appears consistently in reputable sources, including news media, scientific publications, and online encyclopedias. Ludwig AI confirms that this phrase is correct and usable in written English, suggesting the phrase "can be strewn with" and "can be covered in" as alternatives.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

can be strewn with

Replaces "littered" with "strewn", implying a less dense or random scattering.

can be scattered with

Uses "scattered" to suggest a dispersed covering, similar to "littered".

can be covered in

Emphasizes a complete covering, potentially more comprehensive than "littered".

can be filled with

Focuses on the state of being full, where "littered" implies unwanted contents.

can be plagued by

Shifts the focus to the negative impact of the unwanted items.

can be overrun with

Suggests a state of being overwhelmed by something.

can be infested with

Implies a more severe and unwanted presence of something.

can be marred by

Highlights the spoiling effect of the unwanted items.

can be tainted with

Indicates contamination or corruption by the unwanted elements.

can be defaced with

Focuses on the act of vandalizing or spoiling the surface.

FAQs

How can I use "can be littered" in a sentence?

The phrase "can be littered" describes a state where something is covered or scattered with unwanted items or elements. For example: "The beach "can be littered" with trash after a busy holiday weekend."

What are some alternatives to "can be littered"?

You can use alternatives like "can be strewn with", "can be scattered with", or "can be covered in" depending on the context.

Is it better to use "can be littered" or "is littered"?

The choice depends on the context. "Is littered" describes a current state, while "can be littered" describes a potential or habitual state. For example, "The room is littered with toys" versus "The room "can be littered" with toys if the children aren't supervised".

What is the difference between "littered with" and "strewn with"?

"Littered with" generally implies a messier, more disorganized scattering of items, often waste or unwanted objects. "Strewn with" suggests a more casual or artful scattering, though it can still refer to unwanted items depending on context.