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
According to the District Attorney’s Office, Camacho was acting erratically and resisting the deputies, prompting them to use a WRAP device to restrain her.
—
Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
The California Highway Patrol's North Sacramento division said one car was being driven erratically, seemingly doing donuts, when the driver crashed into five parked cars.
—Richard Ramos, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2026
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
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
Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
The California Highway Patrol's North Sacramento division said one car was being driven erratically, seemingly doing donuts, when the driver crashed into five parked cars.
—Richard Ramos, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for erratically
randomly
Adverb
-
The multiplier is automatically included and randomly assigned for every play at the time of purchase.—
Tanya Wildt,
Freep.com,
7 Feb. 2026
-
At the end of the study, about 45% of the 105 patients who were randomly assigned to the early treatment group were still alive, compared with about 15% of the 105 who were assigned to the group treated later in the day.—
Brenda Goodman,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Erratically.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/erratically. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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