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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 anarchy
In the American Colonies, many people saw Williams’ Rhode Island colony as a land of dangerous anarchy.
—
Christopher Schelin, The Conversation, 24 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for anarchy
Christopher Schelin, The Conversation, 24 Feb. 2026
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
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
-
That is, up until the 1911 census, after which unrest put the practice on pause.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Turkey denies the deaths constituted genocide, saying the toll has been inflated and that those killed were victims of civil war and unrest.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
25 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
-
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
-
The turmoil has included the sudden resignation of then-Supt.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The Twin Cities’ response to a sweeping federal immigration crackdown that threw communities and local economies into turmoil offers a glimpse of what resilience and solidarity look like in practice.—
Melissa Jun Rowley,
Rolling Stone,
29 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 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
