amok 1 of 2

adverb

variants or amuck
Definition of amoknext
as in frantically
in a confused and reckless manner returned to the classroom to find an escaped snake and her students running amok

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

amok

2 of 2

adjective

variants or amuck
as in berserk

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of amok
Adverb
Also, po’ boys and gossip and volcanoes and, yes, a Frankenstein AI run amok. — Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 3 June 2026 Some people ardently believe that AI and AI makers are being allowed to run amok. — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
Adjective
Wyatt Russell has been terrific as this avatar of male insecurity run wildly amok, but the script isn’t always doing him favors. — Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 16 Apr. 2021 See All Example Sentences for amok
Recent Examples of Synonyms for amok
  1. frantically
  2. berserk
  3. wildly
  4. nuclear
  5. wild
  6. maniacal
  7. uncontrollably
  8. demented
Adverb
  • But as their love affair gets steamier and Haru frantically tries to maintain her elaborate ruse, the dance numbers lose their luster.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Despite efforts to frantically re-staff, this is an agency in crisis.
    — Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of frantically
Adjective
  • The small pockets of Egyptian fans in the stadium went absolutely berserk, jumping and ripping off their shirts as their team went bonkers below them.
    — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 7 July 2026
  • When the Spurs locked down Brunson, or tried, the ball went elsewhere, zinging around the court, from player to player, as if in a berserk video game.
    — David Remnick, New Yorker, 14 June 2026
Definition of berserk
Adverb
  • Officials have considered mass sterilization or hiring sharpshooters, but those options are wildly expensive.
    — Bob Drogin, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
  • But while many comedians go on to have wildly lucrative careers, that doesn’t seem to be Earthquake’s priority — making people laugh is.
    — Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of wildly
Adjective
  • Likewise, the Soviet Union conducted nuclear tests in space as part of Project K between 1961 and 1962.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
  • In this case, the approach allows Vistra to add hundreds of megawatts while continuing to use existing nuclear sites and infrastructure.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of nuclear
Adverb
  • Two more runs scored in the fourth inning when Ohtani, Pages and Freeman strung together three consecutive two-out singles and Keller wild-pitched a run home.
    — Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 12 June 2026
  • First, like cucumbers, squash is a wild-growing vegetable that competes for garden space, according to Dilmore.
    — Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 9 June 2026
Definition of wild
Adjective
  • Rihanna’s here, maniacal crowds are lining up outside shows to screech and wave at their favorite stars and days of runway events big and small lie ahead.
    — Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026
  • These machines—the maniacal Maverick R, with its praying mantis-like front suspension, and the hard-working Pioneer—have little else in common.
    — Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of maniacal
Adverb
  • Alpha 1, who’s most strict about the disease’s suppression, lashes out uncontrollably.
    — Cortlyn Kelly, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Meanwhile, wildfires have been blazing uncontrollably, most notably this week in the New Forest in southern England.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of uncontrollably
Adjective
  • The lines between Iñárritu’s fiction and our demented present are clearly blurring.
    — Brent Lang, IndieWire, 30 Sep. 2026
  • She’s unknowingly fallen into the clutches of a demented, powerless warlock (McLeod) bent on stealing her power for his own.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of demented

Phrases Containing amok

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amnesty
amok
among
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Cite this Entry

“Amok.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/amok. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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