havoc

1 of 2

noun

hav·​oc ˈha-vək How to pronounce havoc (audio)
-vik
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

havoc

2 of 2

verb

havocked; havocking

transitive verb

: to lay waste : destroy

Examples of havoc in a Sentence

Noun The disease can play havoc with the body's immune system. Several small children can create havoc in a house.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
Former Prime Minister Liz Truss was widely criticized in autumn 2022 for causing havoc in markets by announcing a huge increase in borrowing to fund tax cuts without any prior warning. Jenni Reid, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2024 Oakland’s mayor contends that crime is down, and a recall could create havoc in the city. Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024
Verb
Plankton: The Movie arrives exclusively on Netflix in 2025. 06 of 06 The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants (2025) Next year SpongeBob returns to theaters with his fourth film, The Search for SquarePants, as Plankton wrecks havoc on Netflix. Rendy Jones, EW.com, 2 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for havoc 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English havok, from Anglo-French, modification of Old French havot plunder

Verb

derivative of havoc entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1575, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of havoc was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near havoc

Cite this Entry

“Havoc.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/havoc. Accessed 10 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

havoc

noun
hav·​oc
ˈhav-ək
1
: wide and general destruction
havoc caused by a tornado
2
: great confusion and disorder

More from Merriam-Webster on havoc

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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