1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

amok

2 of 2

adjective

variants or amuck
as in berserk

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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
  • Any pressure on Prince William to reconcile is wildly unfair.
    — Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Marsh plays Anh, a graduate student and best friend to Lili Reinhart‘s Olive in the streamer’s adaptation of the wildly popular Ali Hazelwood novel.
    — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of wildly
Adjective
  • North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in recent years has suspended virtually all cooperation and diplomacy with South Korea while declaring Seoul as his most hostile enemy during a stalemate in his larger nuclear negotiations with Washington.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026
  • For Orion, the collaboration adds fusion to its portfolio of advanced nuclear and energy projects.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 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
  • 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
  • His teammate Christian McCaffrey, who is also known for his maniacal training regimen, has been impressed with Kittle’s recovery.
    — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 23 Aug. 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
  • 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
  • Brainy and inquisitive, she’s intrigued enough by his demented search to offer to help.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of demented

Phrases Containing amok

Browse Nearby Words

amnesty
amok
among
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Amok.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/amok. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 25
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All