as in capriciously
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Recent Examples of arbitrarily
In its latest estimate, Foro Penal, an independent NGO that provides pro bono legal services to people detained arbitrarily, said more than 800 political prisoners were still behind bars.
—
Flora Charner, CNN Money, 10 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
Israel opened and closed Gaza’s borders with Egypt arbitrarily and without warning.
—Literary Hub, 10 Nov. 2025
Or that, even worse, it would be arbitrarily divided into episodes in order to inflate the view count and/or pander to short attention spans (Eywa wept).
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 7 Nov. 2025
Tracks are shown arbitrarily with different start points but the same end points.
—Raj Dhiman, Sourcing Journal, 6 Nov. 2025
Flora Charner, CNN Money, 10 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
Israel opened and closed Gaza’s borders with Egypt arbitrarily and without warning.
—Literary Hub, 10 Nov. 2025
Or that, even worse, it would be arbitrarily divided into episodes in order to inflate the view count and/or pander to short attention spans (Eywa wept).
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 7 Nov. 2025
Tracks are shown arbitrarily with different start points but the same end points.
—Raj Dhiman, Sourcing Journal, 6 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arbitrarily
Adverb
-
But some of these cluster munitions do not explode on impact, thus threatening civilians’ lives and targeting civilians indiscriminately.—
Josiane Yazbeck,
The Conversation,
22 Jan. 2026
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Bigger concerns around ankle monitors The federal government has been putting ankle monitors on noncitizens indiscriminately, according to the lawsuit, to encourage them to self-deport.—
Ryan Oehrli,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
As flawed generative AI tools continue to be used carelessly, without the necessary follow-up work of checking for hallucinations, experts warn that agencies like NWS could inflict serious damage to their reputation and authority.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
7 Jan. 2026
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Florida has a prohibition on carelessly carrying a gun.—
Romy Ellenbogen,
Miami Herald,
31 Dec. 2025
Adverb
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Style them for work with a blouse and dress pants, or wear them casually with a T-shirt and jeans.—
Sian Babish,
PEOPLE,
21 Jan. 2026
-
College basketball teams typically arrive at the arena 90 minutes before tipoff, lace up their sneakers and head to the court to stretch and casually get up a few shots.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
After getting a hold of the beauty shot, one non-Black character randomly transforms into a Black man.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Among highlights are a handsome trenchcoat with wiring built into the structure to allow on-the-go tweaks to the shape, and a jacket cut from creased fabric, a textile developed in-house and inspired by Arp’s randomly dropped pieces of paper.—
Lily Templeton,
Footwear News,
21 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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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
-
More whimsically, it's known for a friendship between a cheetah and Labrador retriever that had a social media moment.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 Nov. 2025
Adverb
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Still, a Bar grievance committee informally chided Gaetz for his conduct as alleged in the Congressional investigation report, released in December 2024.—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Section 3 has been formally invoked twice and informally used a third time.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
20 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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Political factions are steered by big personalities, and politicians jump promiscuously between parties.—
BEN BLAND,
Foreign Affairs,
13 Feb. 2024
Adverb
-
Other areas will use cluster planting, with trees grouped irregularly and open space between them, mimicking the look of a healthy forest.—
Mark Billingsley,
Sacbee.com,
9 Jan. 2026
-
This is a condition where the heart’s upper chamber beats irregularly and fast.—
Sheah Rarback,
Miami Herald,
31 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Arbitrarily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arbitrarily. Accessed 26 Jan. 2026.
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