as in capriciously
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Recent Examples of arbitrarily
That standard would uphold the NCAA’s interpretation of the waiver rule so long as the NCAA didn’t act arbitrarily or capriciously, either of which is difficult to show.
—
Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 27 Jan. 2026
There are questions about the rights of citizens versus non-citizens, the rights of the US to pull visas arbitrarily.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Federal agents monitored and arrested people arbitrarily.
—Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
Of the more than 800 people considered arbitrarily detained for political reasons, the government has released only 49 as of Monday afternoon, according to human rights organization Penal Forum.
—Michael Rios, CNN Money, 12 Jan. 2026
France had maintained Vinatier was arbitrarily detained and had called for his release.
—Reuters, NBC news, 8 Jan. 2026
And atoms and molecules retain energy even if they’re cooled arbitrarily close to absolute zero.
—George Musser, Quanta Magazine, 5 Jan. 2026
Lawyers for the state said Humphreys has failed to show how his lawyers have been restricted from preparing for his upcoming execution because of COVID-19 or that the state has arbitrarily chosen to exclude him from the agreement.
—CBS News, 11 Dec. 2025
According to the human rights group Foro Penal, more than 800 people remain imprisoned for political reasons, and over 18,000 have been detained arbitrarily since 2014.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 27 Jan. 2026
There are questions about the rights of citizens versus non-citizens, the rights of the US to pull visas arbitrarily.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Federal agents monitored and arrested people arbitrarily.
—Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
Of the more than 800 people considered arbitrarily detained for political reasons, the government has released only 49 as of Monday afternoon, according to human rights organization Penal Forum.
—Michael Rios, CNN Money, 12 Jan. 2026
France had maintained Vinatier was arbitrarily detained and had called for his release.
—Reuters, NBC news, 8 Jan. 2026
And atoms and molecules retain energy even if they’re cooled arbitrarily close to absolute zero.
—George Musser, Quanta Magazine, 5 Jan. 2026
Lawyers for the state said Humphreys has failed to show how his lawyers have been restricted from preparing for his upcoming execution because of COVID-19 or that the state has arbitrarily chosen to exclude him from the agreement.
—CBS News, 11 Dec. 2025
According to the human rights group Foro Penal, more than 800 people remain imprisoned for political reasons, and over 18,000 have been detained arbitrarily since 2014.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arbitrarily
Adverb
-
That standard would uphold the NCAA’s interpretation of the waiver rule so long as the NCAA didn’t act arbitrarily or capriciously, either of which is difficult to show.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Crowds of people are seen scattering across the street, diving behind parked cars, and pressing against walls as the gunman moved through the intersection with an AR-15 rifle, firing indiscriminately.—
Chris Boyette,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Given the way rockets are being launched indiscriminately by Iranian forces in retaliation for pinpoint American and Israeli bombing runs on the country, there is a risk of casualties at sea.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Children are not cars whose gas tanks can simply be carelessly overfilled.—
Lauren Arikan,
Baltimore Sun,
5 Mar. 2026
-
For the visitors’ winner, Anthony Gordon unwisely attempted to dribble inside his own half and carelessly lost possession.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Lo sits casually, leaning back on a puffy office chair, watching Hodgson move around the vast space while trying different variations of line readings.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
1 Mar. 2026
-
While not gruff or unfriendly, the serious New York restaurateur carries a distinct tone of getting down to business, even when casually chatting about how the show has changed over time.—
Heidi Finley,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
The multiplier is automatically included and randomly assigned for every play at the time of purchase.—
Tanya Wildt,
Freep.com,
7 Mar. 2026
-
While that’s a common approach for rare diseases, it isn’t considered as reliable as studies where patients are randomly assigned to get treatment or a placebo.—
Bloomberg,
Oc Register,
5 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Maude & the Bear, located inside a storybook 1926 Montgomery Ward kit house in Staunton, Virginia, has been whimsically recreated as a modern restaurant and inn.—
USA TODAY NETWORK,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The whimsically nostalgic Lenox Spice Village has experienced a resurgence in popularity in recent years as a new generation falls in love with the miniature porcelain Victorian houses.—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
15 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
The department, which was informally renamed as the Department of War via executive order last year, addressed the red lines in a social media post last week.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Behind the scenes during the evening, teams meet with draft prospects both formally and informally.—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
5 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Political factions are steered by big personalities, and politicians jump promiscuously between parties.—
BEN BLAND,
Foreign Affairs,
13 Feb. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Arbitrarily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arbitrarily. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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