1
as in hell
a state in which everything is out of order
computer network problems created havoc throughout the office
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in devastation
the state or fact of being rendered nonexistent, physically unsound, or useless
the powerful hurricane wreaked havoc all along the coast
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to ravage
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of havoc
Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026
As almost everyone else in Widow’s Bay takes shelter from a storm that’s wreaking havoc and even sucking some residents into the sky, Tom goes to Ruth’s house and weighs a terrible moral dilemma.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 17 June 2026
Hannah Poukish, Sacbee.com, 7 Mar. 2026
Even after hours of fast traveling, horseback riding, and slowly jogging from point A to point B, there were more quests to find, gear to loot, and havoc to wreak.
—PC Magazine, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for havoc
Noun
But the tornado had wreaked havoc on the bar in a few short minutes.
—Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026
As almost everyone else in Widow’s Bay takes shelter from a storm that’s wreaking havoc and even sucking some residents into the sky, Tom goes to Ruth’s house and weighs a terrible moral dilemma.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 17 June 2026
Verb
The change launches biannual arguments about the practice, wrecks havoc on sleep and has inspired voters to go to California polls.
—Hannah Poukish, Sacbee.com, 7 Mar. 2026
Even after hours of fast traveling, horseback riding, and slowly jogging from point A to point B, there were more quests to find, gear to loot, and havoc to wreak.
—PC Magazine, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for havoc
Recent Examples of Synonyms for havoc
Noun
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Tuesday, the Warriors got a hell of a lot smarter, a hell of a lot tougher, and infinitely better.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
24 June 2026
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Peristere does his best to re-establish the series’ rhythms before all watery hell breaks loose.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
22 June 2026
Noun
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Following years of economic devastation and underinvestment in public services, the country’s infrastructure – from hospitals to electricity and water – is ill-equipped to deal with a crisis like this.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
25 June 2026
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And then there's water damage and the devastation caused by flooding.—
Alora Bopray,
USA Today,
23 June 2026
Verb
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The tree’s limbs were lopped off in the wake of January 2025’s Eaton fire, which ravaged Altadena and part of Pasadena, but all these months after the fire, there’s new growth on the tree.—
Marah Eakin,
Los Angeles Times,
24 June 2026
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Matthew Tkachuk, who has been a franchise-altering player since Florida acquired him in July 2022, has already won twice with the Panthers in 2024 and 2025 before injuries ravaged Florida’s 2025-26 season.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
21 June 2026
Noun
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The next moments in the Dodgers’ 6-5 walk-off win Friday were chaos.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
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Renard's sudden, high-pressure arrival could, however, inject chaos and potentially inspire an unexpected performance from a team with nothing left to lose.—
Beau Dure,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
Noun
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David Hearn, a former Olympic canoeist, told the the Washington Post he was arrested on June 19 and charged with misdemeanor destruction of government property.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
23 June 2026
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This came on the heels of another round of tornadoes just four days earlier that leveled buildings and caused widespread destruction across the region.—
Briana Waxman,
CNN Money,
22 June 2026
Verb
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Messi played a gorgeous pass that led to a Lautaro Martinez chance and, on the hour mark, plundered his second of the night after a goalkeeping error.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
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After sailing past Scylla and Charybdis (and losing six men), Odysseus lands in Thrinacia, where his companions plunder the Cattle of the Sun.—
Gitanjali Roy,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
12 June 2026
Noun
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Topuria was a bloody and swollen mess by the time his corner stopped the fight between the fourth and fifth rounds.—
Chuck Schilken,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
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In other words, why mess with perfection?—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
18 June 2026
Noun
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As Hinkley’s family and fiancée mourn the loss of a young man who still had his entire future ahead of him, prosecutors emphasized the scrutiny applied when criminal allegations involve an on-duty law enforcement officer.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
22 June 2026
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The Los Angeles Dodgers have long been one of Major League Baseball’s most successful franchises, which means their players often find themselves at the center of conversations that extend beyond wins and losses.—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Havoc.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/havoc. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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