haphazard 1 of 2

haphazard

2 of 2

adverb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word haphazard distinct from other similar adjectives?

The words casual and random are common synonyms of haphazard. While all three words mean "determined by accident rather than design," haphazard applies to what is done without regard for regularity or fitness or ultimate consequence.

a haphazard collection of rocks

When can casual be used instead of haphazard?

Although the words casual and haphazard have much in common, casual suggests working or acting without deliberation, intention, or purpose.

a casual collector

When is random a more appropriate choice than haphazard?

While the synonyms random and haphazard are close in meaning, random stresses lack of definite aim, fixed goal, or regular procedure.

a random selection of books

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 haphazard
Adjective
That fact was evident not only in the casualties and hostage-taking during the massacre, but in the grinding, brutal, and haphazard war in Gaza that has followed. Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 13 June 2025 Trump's attempts to reduce the size of the payroll, often in a manner seen as haphazard, have caused anxiety and alarm. Jonathan Allen, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025 The firings at some agencies were conducted in such a haphazard and unprofessional manner, leaving Trump administration officials scrambling. Mordechai Gordon, Hartford Courant, 28 Feb. 2025 Those have included a wide variety of humanitarian aid programs, grants for institutions conducting medical research across the United States and a spate of haphazard layoffs. Zach Montague, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for haphazard
Recent Examples of Synonyms for haphazard
Adjective
  • The bookstore idea came from a random day at her local coffee shop and an empty stall in the strip mall.
    Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2025
  • During a random search of the area, two officers accidentally stumble on a member of the gang posing as a municipal worker in a high-viz boiler suit.
    Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
Adverb
  • Opponents of the idea see a hand on the scale and a new label on a socialist effort to redistribute wealth and opportunity randomly and haphazardly without a thought as to possible consequences.
    John Scott Lewinski, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
  • These options let the computer randomly generate numbers for you.
    Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The result was a mile-long line that turned scattered craftwork into synchronized production.
    Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2025
  • More likely, a supernova occurs inside a galaxy loaded with numerous, scattered clouds of gas and dust.
    Phil Plait, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Specifically, the temporally thin nature of classical digital computation — one state after another, with the inter-state time interval being totally arbitrary — seems fundamentally incompatible with the nature of consciousness as a richly dynamical process.
    Anil Seth, Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
  • Ten sacks is an arbitrary benchmark, but nearly every other team has had at least one edge rusher — either a defensive end or outside linebacker — hit that mark.
    Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Reckless driving, which typically involves a combination of speeding, distracted driving and erratic and aggressive behaviors, has remained a persistent issue across the state, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
    Everett Eaton, jsonline.com, 28 Aug. 2025
  • Gusty and erratic winds expected near thunderstorms in the evening with gusts 20-25 mph possible.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 27 Aug. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Haphazard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/haphazard. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on haphazard

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!