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Definition of havoc
1 : wide and general destruction : devastation A tornado wreaked havoc on the town two years ago.
2 : great confusion and disorder the blackout caused havoc in the city
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Examples of havoc in a Sentence
The disease can play havoc with the body's immune system.
Several small children can create havoc in a house.
Recent Examples of havoc from the Web
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Wimbledon, one of the most prominent tennis tournaments in the world, was faced with a predicament today: A massive swarm of flying ants infiltrated the courts, wreaking havoc on the players, umpires, and spectators.
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Indeed, the U.S. has few options in dealing with North Korea: most of them expected to result in a North Korean military response that could wreak havoc on South Korea, Japan, and U.S. military assets in the region.
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As the Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants faced off, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake wreaked havoc on the West Coast.
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But then Hamilton drew a leadoff walk and wreaked havoc on Brewers reliever Corey Knebel.
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A broad look at all viruses known to infect mammals suggests that bats are, indeed, more likely to carry unknown pathogens that can wreak havoc on humans.
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The gypsy moth infestation has been going on for weeks, wreaking havoc on thousands of acres of trees throughout the state.
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The recent leak of a classified NSA document, for which a contractor has been arrested, provided evidence that the GRU was trying to penetrate a company that provides election software to the states, perhaps to wreak havoc.
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But our modern-day obsession with being squeaky clean and germ-free — along with other factors like UV radiation, pollution, and topical medications — can reduce or increase the amount of certain bacteria, wreaking havoc on your skin.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'havoc'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of havoc
Middle English havok, from Anglo-French, modification of Old French havot plunder
havoc
Definition of havoc
havocked
;havocking
transitive verb
: to lay waste : destroy
Origin and Etymology of havoc
see 1havoc
HAVOC Defined for English Language Learners
havoc
playDefinition of havoc for English Language Learners
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: a situation in which there is much destruction or confusion
HAVOC Defined for Kids
havoc
playDefinition of havoc for Students
1 : wide destruction The storm wreaked havoc.
2 : great confusion and lack of order My young nephews caused havoc.
Learn More about havoc
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for havoc Spanish Central: Translation of havoc Nglish: Translation of havoc for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of havoc for Arabic speakers
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