as in capriciously
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Recent Examples of arbitrarily
No such rules appear to exist for Saudi Arabia, whose leaders have been accused of arbitrarily arresting, jailing and torturing people who speak out against the government.
—
Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 9 Apr. 2026
Much smaller than originally thought Initially, when discovered in January, it was arbitrarily assumed that Comet MAPS might be rather large, as most Kreutz comets go.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 7 Apr. 2026
According to Jackson, the majority arbitrarily collapses that distinction simply because the treatment is delivered orally.
—Kevin Cope, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2026
Salvadoran nationals who were deported from the United States have been arbitrarily detained in El Salvador and have disappeared into the Central American nation's prison system, according to a Human Rights Watch report released on Monday.
—CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
The dollar amount was chosen arbitrarily based on what voters might accept, and some cynics saw it as a move by a pro-development commission to cozy up to environmentalists.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
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
Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 9 Apr. 2026
Much smaller than originally thought Initially, when discovered in January, it was arbitrarily assumed that Comet MAPS might be rather large, as most Kreutz comets go.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 7 Apr. 2026
According to Jackson, the majority arbitrarily collapses that distinction simply because the treatment is delivered orally.
—Kevin Cope, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2026
Salvadoran nationals who were deported from the United States have been arbitrarily detained in El Salvador and have disappeared into the Central American nation's prison system, according to a Human Rights Watch report released on Monday.
—CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
The dollar amount was chosen arbitrarily based on what voters might accept, and some cynics saw it as a move by a pro-development commission to cozy up to environmentalists.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
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
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
-
Users in China and elsewhere have shared stories of OpenClaw run amok, deleting emails indiscriminately or making unauthorized credit card purchases.—
Erin Tan,
NBC news,
23 Mar. 2026
-
The specks of light are small bombs, each carrying up to 11 pounds of explosives, which are released at high altitude from the head of the missile before raining down indiscriminately over a wide area.—
Jeremy Diamond,
CNN Money,
12 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Treat the produce section carelessly.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Residents were treated carelessly, disrespectfully, insensitively.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Wear them casually with tennis shoes and a tank top, or dress them up with heeled sandals and a pretty cardigan.—
Sian Babish,
PEOPLE,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Shortstop Miguel Rojas fully laid out to his left in the second inning to field a sharp grounder off Bo Bichette’s bat, and then casually threw to first to complete the diving play.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Study participants were chosen randomly Both took part in risk-factor modification.—
CBS Miami Team,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The agency would randomly draw from a lottery of birthdays and numbers to establish the order that individuals would be inducted.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
No landlord would allow an occupant to change his property without approval, let alone whimsically destroy a third of it.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Something this rare — this pink, this whimsically named — had been thriving just steps away from a local community, entirely unrecognized until the survey team went out to look.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
13 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Johnston and other city representatives have lobbied for the event both formally and informally in recent months.—
John Aguilar,
Denver Post,
10 Apr. 2026
-
His contributions were informally recorded by Sehgal (during breakfast at a hotel) while the pair visited Selma in 2017.—
DeAsia Paige,
AJC.com,
8 Apr. 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 17 Apr. 2026.
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