1
as in daring
having or showing a lack of concern for the consequences of one's actions
the reckless skiers were making everyone nervous by schussing down the mountainside at lightning speed
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in courageous
foolishly adventurous or bold
the calamitous accident was caused by a reckless driver who cut off the semitrailer
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of reckless
Just ask the families of the more than 800,000 Americans who have died from the opioid epidemic because the Food and Drug Administration didn’t do its regulatory job and stop a company’s reckless desire for profit.
—
Paul Tudor Jones, Time, 25 June 2025
Putin has begun to deploy Russian nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus, and U.S. officials assessed that Russia may have a reckless plan to put nuclear weapons in space.
—Vipin Narang, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025
The charges were filed under Blair’s Law, a Missouri law that took effect in Aug. 2024 outlawing the reckless discharge of a firearm within or into the limits of any Missouri municipality.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 23 June 2025
Thornton faces a Level 4 felony charge of operating while intoxicated; Level 5 felonies of reckless homicide, criminal recklessness and driving while suspended causing death; and Level 6 felonies of driving while suspended causing bodily injury and reckless driving.
—Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for reckless
Paul Tudor Jones, Time, 25 June 2025
Putin has begun to deploy Russian nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus, and U.S. officials assessed that Russia may have a reckless plan to put nuclear weapons in space.
—Vipin Narang, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025
The charges were filed under Blair’s Law, a Missouri law that took effect in Aug. 2024 outlawing the reckless discharge of a firearm within or into the limits of any Missouri municipality.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 23 June 2025
Thornton faces a Level 4 felony charge of operating while intoxicated; Level 5 felonies of reckless homicide, criminal recklessness and driving while suspended causing death; and Level 6 felonies of driving while suspended causing bodily injury and reckless driving.
—Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for reckless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reckless
Adjective
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The lineup includes Sharks Up Close, in which wildlife filmmaker Bertie Gregory embarks on a daring cage-free dive to capture the raw power and beauty of great whites on film, and Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story, the authorized documentary marking the 50th anniversary of the film.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
30 June 2025
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Still, leaping over a 100-foot ravine with a baby clinging to your back seems like a daring choice.—
Skylar Knight,
Smithsonian Magazine,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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Occasionally we are confronted with stories, like the founding of Knox College [established in 1837 by abolitionists committed to educating women and people of color] , where some person or some group of people chose the unpopular, but morally courageous path.—
Hanna Hart,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
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The event series is based on The Old Testament’s Book of Genesis and told through the eyes of the courageous and passionate yet flawed women whose descendants would shape three of the world’s great faiths: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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Not even the endless crowing about this daredevil feat in the marketing campaign leading up to the Cannes Film Festival premiere (and the movie’s release on May 23rd) can suck the exhilaration and sense of awe of watching this extended jaunt through the wild blue yonder.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
15 May 2025
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Then there was the subplot of a daredevil robot named Saymo who broke up with his girlfriend in front of a crowd on a studio lot, then tried to roll off a ramp and fly over a car.—
Jason Zinoman,
New York Times,
20 May 2025
Adjective
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These brave men and women conducting rescue operations have saved many people but sadly, there have also been at least 50 fatalities reported, including 15 children as of Saturday night.—
Rebecca Angel Baer,
Southern Living,
6 July 2025
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Those helming businesses are required to make a crucial call about staying the course amid uncertainty or forging a brave, new path.—
Naazneen Karmali,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2025
Adjective
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With irresponsible threats to quit patrolling the streets of Deerfield Beach, Sheriff Gregory Tony is using scare tactics and putting the public at risk.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
28 June 2025
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In this era of short attention spans, headlines like this one are completely irresponsible.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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Fisherman core Sagittarius is adventurous and layered, both literally and figuratively.—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
1 July 2025
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He's remained a versatile and adventurous actor, bouncing between romantic comedies (Picture Perfect, Crazy Stupid Love), genre (Stir of Echoes, They/Them), suspense (In the Cut, Black Mass), and intense drama (The Woodsman, Mystic River).—
EW.com,
EW.com,
30 June 2025
Adjective
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The problem isn’t that general providers are careless, but that their systems and staff simply aren’t built for these edge cases.—
Ari Raptis,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
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When businesses are careless and people get hurt, those businesses should be held accountable.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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But while Martinez no longer is CPS CEO, that’s a foolhardy assumption so long as that pension fund solely is the city’s legal responsibility.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
2 July 2025
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Hammack should have replied to Smith that a central banker planning something as complicated as the cost of credit would be as foolhardy as a president planning Harvard’s class of 2029, multiplied by many millions.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reckless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reckless. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.
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