as in frantically
in a confused and reckless manner
we spent all morning frenetically searching the house for the lost keys
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Recent Examples of frenetically
An ex-trader explained that if bettors exhibited potential signs of compulsive gambling, such as frenetically emptying and refilling their account balance, the trader would check if RG wanted to reach out to make sure the customer was OK.
—
Vanity Fair, 12 Jan. 2026
The early-career excitement Spielberg generated with Duel, The Sugarland Express, Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind came to a thudding halt with the frenetically busy, hopelessly bloated war comedy, 1941.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 20 Nov. 2025
Countless moths beat frenetically around the trap’s white, diaphanous panels, which are swaying with ghostly ripples in a gentle breeze.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Oct. 2025
Singer Brendan Yates’ intensity — at one point leaping with abandon, at another frenetically thrusting — is what makes Turnstile cook.
—Daniel Kohn, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2025
But then, given how frenetically thrashing the entire tariff and trade policy and strategy have been in practice, expecting a predictable rollout and impact was probably unrealistic on everyone’s part.
—Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Vanity Fair, 12 Jan. 2026
The early-career excitement Spielberg generated with Duel, The Sugarland Express, Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind came to a thudding halt with the frenetically busy, hopelessly bloated war comedy, 1941.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 20 Nov. 2025
Countless moths beat frenetically around the trap’s white, diaphanous panels, which are swaying with ghostly ripples in a gentle breeze.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Oct. 2025
Singer Brendan Yates’ intensity — at one point leaping with abandon, at another frenetically thrusting — is what makes Turnstile cook.
—Daniel Kohn, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2025
But then, given how frenetically thrashing the entire tariff and trade policy and strategy have been in practice, expecting a predictable rollout and impact was probably unrealistic on everyone’s part.
—Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frenetically
Adverb
-
The note has taken center stage as authorities are still frantically trying to find Nancy Guthrie, 84, after her apparent abduction from her Tucson-area home.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
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At the same time, as influential tech journalist Casey Newton noted, TikTok’s algorithm seemed to fail immediately after the handover, leaving its largely Gen Z fanbase frantically seeking an alternative to the addictive feed.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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The author of the wildly popular Dungeon Crawler Carl series has a snarky sci-fi standalone that has shades of Ender’s Game or Ready Player One, but from the other side.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
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Her coven of no-nonsense gals and transitioning beta males began cheering wildly.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Frenetically.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frenetically. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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