anarchy

noun

ˈa-nər-kē How to pronounce anarchy (audio)
Definition of anarchynext
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

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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 The true promise of BlackNet for crypto-anarchy lay in the indirect effect of monetizing secrets. — Finn Brunton, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026 Marie’s secret past threatens to catch up with her, and she is forced to do everything in her power to preserve her new status as lady of the house in post-war anarchy. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2026 Now Marie’s past threatens to catch up with her, and she is forced to do everything in her power to preserve her new status as lady of the house in post-war anarchy. — Alex Ritman, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026 The Mystic of my childhood, though, had a modicum of edge — kids with anarchy symbols on their jackets skateboarded outside a coffee shop that reeked of weed, and locals got rowdy at a dysfunctional watering hole called the Draw Bridge Inne. — Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for anarchy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anarchy
  1. chaos
  2. unrest
  3. lawlessness
  4. turmoil
  5. misrule
Noun
  • The chaos was a fitting end to one of the ugliest elections in recent years, said Paulo César de Oliveira in Correio da Manhã (Rio de Janeiro).
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 31 Oct. 2026
  • The judge also raised concerns the effort would disenfranchise eligible voters and create election chaos.
    — Jude Joffe-Block, NPR, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of chaos
Noun
  • The unrest began after high school students took to the streets last month to denounce poor conditions and resources at their campuses.
    — Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Those clashes came as social unrest has set Europe's streets ablaze from France and Italy to Spain and Portugal, fueled by youth frustration over the state of public education, social services and the high cost of housing.
    — JOVANA GEC, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of unrest
Noun
  • Another example of lawlessness was Trump putting his name on the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, subsequently denied by another sitting federal court judge.
    — Miles J. Zaremski, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Ne-Yo endeared himself to a legion of women bruised by the very men who’d eventually steer R&B into an era of lawlessness.
    — Clover Hope, Pitchfork, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of lawlessness
Noun
  • Throughout that year, as Israelis poured into the streets to protest Netanyahu's far-right government and its plan to weaken the judiciary, Netanyahu's security chiefs warned that regional enemies could take advantage of the turmoil to attack.
    — Daniel Estrin, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
  • France, whose 10-year bond yield touched 5% last week for the first time since 2002, got a reprieve from recent turmoil after Moody’s decided to maintain its Aa3 credit rating and negative outlook on the nation.
    — Ananya Chetia,Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of turmoil
Noun
  • As the landscape was brought back under control, its wilder elements came to be regarded with ever more suspicion and distrust, as a symbol of earlier misrule.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 July 2026
  • Expectations are now rising over the role the United States will play in helping Venezuela, which had already been laid low by decades of misrule.
    — Emma Bubola Jenna Russell Raj Saha Adam Liptak, New York Times, 27 June 2026
Definition of misrule

Browse Nearby Words

anarchs
anarchy
anathema
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Cite this Entry

“Anarchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anarchy. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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