as in half-baked
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of half-cocked
His paranoia, played with clumsy charm by a mustachioed and bleary-eyed Leonardo DiCaprio, is half-cocked and somewhat comical.
—
David Sims, The Atlantic, 18 Sep. 2025
That cycle has lasted decades, a past strewn with half-cocked plans, bankruptcies, struggling businesses, recriminations, and a neighborhood that refuses to give up on itself or surrender its personality.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 21 May 2025
And yet, all of a sudden, there was the commotion typical of when a manager walks into a room deep in a stadium as reporters rush to put their phones on the desk and stumble awkwardly, laptops half-cocked, back to their seats.
—James Horncastle, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
The way reason permeated the front offices has bled onto the field, and the players are more reasonable, more rational and not likely to go off half-cocked.
—Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 25 Sep. 2024
David Sims, The Atlantic, 18 Sep. 2025
That cycle has lasted decades, a past strewn with half-cocked plans, bankruptcies, struggling businesses, recriminations, and a neighborhood that refuses to give up on itself or surrender its personality.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 21 May 2025
And yet, all of a sudden, there was the commotion typical of when a manager walks into a room deep in a stadium as reporters rush to put their phones on the desk and stumble awkwardly, laptops half-cocked, back to their seats.
—James Horncastle, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
The way reason permeated the front offices has bled onto the field, and the players are more reasonable, more rational and not likely to go off half-cocked.
—Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 25 Sep. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for half-cocked
Adjective
-
Nevertheless, Hollywood could soon notice an AI backlash that hurts its bottom line so long as studios are pushing it as both a half-baked dramatic theme and a transformative tool.—
Miles Klee,
Wired News,
5 Feb. 2026
-
His authoritarian moves can be half-baked and primitive, such as the firing of the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics for releasing economic data that Trump wished were not true.—
Marc Novicoff,
The Atlantic,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
But others criticized Jackson, calling his action ill-timed and ill-advised.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
-
They’re further complicated by the fact that the United States’ infrastructure has glaring weak points, making the simplest solution of hauling more weight ill-advised at best.—
Caleb Jacobs,
The Drive,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, both Ukrainian and Russian military bloggers reported that unauthorized Starlink satellite communications terminals in use by Russian forces had been disrupted or disconnected, following a public appeal by Kyiv to Starlink producer SpaceX and its owner Elon Musk.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.—
Ryley Amond,
CNBC,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
His response was considered a striking, and spontaneous, moral condemnation of McCarthy’s excesses.—
Kristen Monroe,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The spontaneous pep talk from Madonna came shortly before Glenn competed on the ice for the women’s short, which ended with the American at 13th place in the overall skater standings.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
What emerged was a season defined by ease and quiet confidence, where modern dressing feels instinctive, purposeful and deeply personal.—
Lisa Lockwood,
Footwear News,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Johnson is instinctive, capable of quickly diagnosing layered route concepts, and can bait quarterbacks into making a mistake.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Half-cocked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/half-cocked. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
