as in half-baked
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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
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The many creaky, half-baked aspects of Shelby Oaks are all the more frustrating when one remembers the film’s solid start, the specific point of view that gradually gives way to Stuckmann’s plodding recitation of hoary horror-movie staples.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Oct. 2025
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Jokes have setups and punchlines; this was merely half-baked political analysis.—
Matt Fleming,
Oc Register,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Even a small showing of functional toughness from Tyler Kleven, fighting Joe Veleno after a thunderous check on Canadiens defenceman Alexandre Carrier, proved to be somewhat ill-advised.—
Julian McKenzie,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
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Other segments feature a woman being stalked by telephone and a nurse whose decision to steal a ring from a corpse turns out to be very ill-advised.—
Katie Rife,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But those state actions are now unauthorized because of the Supreme Court order, the USDA wrote in guidance released on Saturday.—
Leah Douglas,
USA Today,
9 Nov. 2025
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The somber discussion followed discussions surrounding poor internal controls that have resulted in tens of millions of dollars spent on unauthorized contracts and unbudgeted expenses.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
While spontaneous mentions of high prices increased for a fifth month, inflation expectations eased over the longer term.—
Bloomberg News,
Boston Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
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This could look like spontaneous travel plans, shifting your career focus or even a spiritual awakening.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The piece Lee publishes isn’t a Pulitzer-winning takedown, but a posthumous profile of the reclusive, kind-hearted Dale, a man who shares Dale’s love of crime writers like Jim Thompson and instinctive empathy for underdogs.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
5 Nov. 2025
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Not home in the physical sense, but in the ancestral one — that instinctive recognition that lives in the bones.—
Shelby Stewart,
Essence,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Half-cocked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/half-cocked. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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