as in chaos
a state in which there is widespread wrongdoing and disregard for rules and authority
the anarchy that the country experienced after the dictator drained the treasury and fled the country
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Recent Examples of anarchy
From ancient sources philosophers and poets, democrats and demagogues, found justification for everything from anarchy to fascism, and there are reasons for both justifications.
—
Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
Invariably, anarchy reigns both on stage and off in the wings, usually exacerbated by the triangular tensions — sometimes romantic, sometimes simply professional — produced between the weekly celebrity guest, Kermit and Miss Piggy.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 Feb. 2026
Throwing one’s hands up, in resignation or indifference, captures the anarchy that seems to characterize our digital lives.
—Roger J. Kreuz, Fortune, 5 Dec. 2025
The country had devolved into anarchy and total uncertainty.
—Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for anarchy
Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
Invariably, anarchy reigns both on stage and off in the wings, usually exacerbated by the triangular tensions — sometimes romantic, sometimes simply professional — produced between the weekly celebrity guest, Kermit and Miss Piggy.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 Feb. 2026
Throwing one’s hands up, in resignation or indifference, captures the anarchy that seems to characterize our digital lives.
—Roger J. Kreuz, Fortune, 5 Dec. 2025
The country had devolved into anarchy and total uncertainty.
—Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for anarchy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anarchy
Noun
-
The table at the center of the room balances like a top on a single point, serving as a metaphor for the challenge of finding balance amid the chaos.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
-
My house isn't particularly quiet, though, with three under four constantly running around causing chaos.—
Joe Salas
April 25,
New Atlas,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Amid the unrest, the mine shut down.—
Gabrielle Emanuel,
NPR,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The announcement comes amid ongoing scrutiny of the government’s handling of political detainees, even after the passage of an amnesty law earlier this year intended to address cases tied to political unrest spanning more than two decades.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The professors said that after their arrests, they were targeted by threats and harassment, part of a pushback by conservatives who said universities were failing to protect Jewish students from antisemitism and allowing lawlessness.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
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Israeli officials and military leaders have recently sounded the alarm over intensifying violence and lawlessness by extremist settlers in the occupied West Bank, where arsons and deadly attacks have continued unabated.—
Sam Metz,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But the persona turmoil behind this transformational figure has in many ways remained hidden from view.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
23 Apr. 2026
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But the stock market is brushing off the turmoil.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The engineer said decades of misrule have been hard on Iranians.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Goetz understood this disorder not as the product of scant civic resources or state retreat but rather as the result of liberal misrule—do-gooder bureaucrats, failed social programs, and a city that had coddled the undeserving and the criminal.—
Heather Ann Thompson,
The Atlantic,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Anarchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anarchy. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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