as in randomly
without definite aim, direction, rule, or method
the police officer pulled over the driver, who had been spotted driving very erratically
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Recent Examples of erratically
Watch for battery swelling If your trackpad suddenly feels stiff, won’t click normally, or behaves erratically, check the bottom of the laptop.
—
Ken Colburn, AZCentral.com, 19 Jan. 2026
Regulators say that many Tesla drivers involved in crashes said the cars gave them no warning before behaving erratically.
—Austin American Statesman, 16 Jan. 2026
Deputies also said that Guajardo continued to drive erratically and then nearly hit a patrol vehicle during the incident.
—Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
The footage shows the fish start to swim faster and more erratically when a large whale suddenly breaks through the school of fish with its gaping maw.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
Infected deer are often emaciated, act erratically, lose bodily functions and become weak and die, the agency said.
—Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Dec. 2025
This rapid warming disrupts normal wind patterns, ultimately weakening the polar vortex and allowing the jet stream to move more erratically.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
Court records alleged Bush stepped in front of and pushed an officer who was attempting to arrest another man acting erratically with a gun at a restaurant.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 5 Nov. 2025
Deputies pulled over Bocio in Islamorada after the taxi was seen driving erratically, per Linhardt.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2025
Ken Colburn, AZCentral.com, 19 Jan. 2026
Regulators say that many Tesla drivers involved in crashes said the cars gave them no warning before behaving erratically.
—Austin American Statesman, 16 Jan. 2026
Deputies also said that Guajardo continued to drive erratically and then nearly hit a patrol vehicle during the incident.
—Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
The footage shows the fish start to swim faster and more erratically when a large whale suddenly breaks through the school of fish with its gaping maw.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
Infected deer are often emaciated, act erratically, lose bodily functions and become weak and die, the agency said.
—Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Dec. 2025
This rapid warming disrupts normal wind patterns, ultimately weakening the polar vortex and allowing the jet stream to move more erratically.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
Court records alleged Bush stepped in front of and pushed an officer who was attempting to arrest another man acting erratically with a gun at a restaurant.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 5 Nov. 2025
Deputies pulled over Bocio in Islamorada after the taxi was seen driving erratically, per Linhardt.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for erratically
randomly
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
Cite this Entry
“Erratically.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/erratically. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
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