half-cocked

Definition of half-cockednext

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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for half-cocked
Adjective
  • Asked about a half-baked, eleventh-hour Johnson administration idea for the city to take over the state agency that has overseen stadium financing in Illinois, Pritzker said no one from the mayor’s office had even contacted him about it.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2026
  • Waiting until the last minute to force an idea is the surest way to churn out an essay that is half-baked and inauthentic.
    Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
Adjective
  • Mejia said the city had been ill-advised to agree to be the financial backstop, should the Games lose money.
    James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Miss Manners does not consider this rude so much as ill-advised.
    Judith Martin, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Ellifson said the cameras have led to a faster police response to potential critical emergencies and have been used to quickly notify law enforcement about unauthorized individuals entering school property.
    Alec Johnson, jsonline.com, 11 Sep. 2026
  • In Anthropic’s new cybersecurity report, the AI lab detailed an episode in which its Mythos 5 model was undergoing testing and gained unauthorized access to the internet.
    J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 11 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • In 2022, the pair took a big risk for their first date and went on a spontaneous trip to the World Cup in Qatar.
    Shelby Wax, Vogue, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Thompson is particularly skilled at emotionally investing in his character’s plight even as the spontaneous production refuses to take itself too seriously.
    Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • The 21-year-old is instinctive in the box, knowing when to sprint, decelerate and stay static to attack crosses.
    Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The instinctive Moon squares extravagant Jupiter, making a purchase, creative gamble, or spontaneous plan especially tempting.
    Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 2 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Half-cocked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/half-cocked. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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