as in arbitrarily
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Recent Examples of capriciously
Permits that are granted and withdrawn capriciously, tax credits that come and go, technologies that fall in or out of favor in successive administrations, and endless legal battles all amount to dangerous barriers to investment.
—
Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 16 Apr. 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
Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 16 Apr. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for capriciously
Adverb
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The constitutional principle behind that decision – that citizenship is a fundamental right which can’t be arbitrarily taken away by whoever happens to be in power – applies equally to how the government handles denaturalization cases today.—
Cassandra Burke Robertson,
The Conversation,
24 Apr. 2026
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This undermines our Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures — in other words, everyone deserves to drive without fear of being arbitrarily pulled over.—
Lauren Aung,
Washington Post,
23 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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The most common example of extreme indifference is a person who fires a gun into a crowd indiscriminately, creating a grave risk of death to others.—
Shaun Boyd,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
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Stagi says she's disappointed Rice was charged with less serious crimes but hopes the prosecution sends a message that immigration officers can’t tackle people indiscriminately and use excessive force.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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During the pavilion’s preview, a brief but loud protest led by Russian dissident disruptors Pussy Riot and the Ukrainian feminist group FEMEN might have been the most exciting thing to happen at the underwhelming and carelessly presented group show of live performance and video art.—
Fiona Sinclair Scott,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
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They were exposed down the left with Cody Gakpo, Mac Allister and Andy Robertson constantly being caught out of position when Liverpool turned the ball over carelessly.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
3 May 2026
Adverb
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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
-
Something casually exchanged could become strategically useful.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 May 2026
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The footage shows officers carefully opening the bathroom door before the confused bear casually strolls out and heads down the sidewalk to freedom while officers and bystanders scatter out of the way.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
Adverb
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Hand says that a couple of errors that can make randomly occurring patterns look deceptively connected.—
Faye Flam,
Scientific American,
7 May 2026
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The trial, funded by Moderna, included more than 40,000 adults ages 50 and up who were randomly assigned to get the mRNA vaccine or one of four standard flu shots during the 2024–2025 flu season.—
Berkeley Lovelace Jr,
NBC news,
6 May 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
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And since its stranding, the animal has reportedly been breathing irregularly and hardly moving.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
30 Apr. 2026
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Ehrmann says the problem isn’t just limited to tilt-and-turns but comes up in all kinds of architectural projects that have irregularly shaped windows.—
Clio Chang,
Curbed,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Capriciously.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/capriciously. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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