as in random
lacking a definite plan, purpose, or pattern
considering the haphazard way you measured the ingredients, it's a wonder the cookies came out this good
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in randomly
without definite aim, direction, rule, or method
shoes were tossed haphazard into the closet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of haphazard
Steve Doerschuk, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Tommy and Greg are basically like The Odd Couple in every way, with Tommy’s haphazard approach to life directly contrasting with Greg’s more measured approach.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 13 Apr. 2026
The ask comes a year into a Republican administration that has been defined by haphazard mass layoffs and firings of thousands of federal workers, including dozens who say they were targeted in acts of political retaliation or for not embracing the White House's agenda.
—Amanda Seitz, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
The ask comes a year into a Republican administration that has been defined by haphazard mass layoffs and firings of thousands of federal workers, including dozens who say they were targeted in acts of political retaliation or for not embracing the White House’s agenda.
—CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for haphazard
Adjective
Post-Pudge, pro football punched along, knocking from the East to a haphazard hub in the Midwest, sprouting a raucous Ohio rivalry that grew in the years after a Canton lawyer named William McKinley was president of the USA.
—Steve Doerschuk, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Tommy and Greg are basically like The Odd Couple in every way, with Tommy’s haphazard approach to life directly contrasting with Greg’s more measured approach.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 13 Apr. 2026
The ask comes a year into a Republican administration that has been defined by haphazard mass layoffs and firings of thousands of federal workers, including dozens who say they were targeted in acts of political retaliation or for not embracing the White House's agenda.
—Amanda Seitz, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
The ask comes a year into a Republican administration that has been defined by haphazard mass layoffs and firings of thousands of federal workers, including dozens who say they were targeted in acts of political retaliation or for not embracing the White House’s agenda.
—CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for haphazard
Recent Examples of Synonyms for haphazard
Adjective
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Even if the threshold for disagreement was quite low, disagreements were amplified to the point that each random interaction was increasingly likely to exceed the threshold.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
7 May 2026
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But as some have learned the hard way, that tendency of random things to appear to form patterns means that the other peak might be just noise.—
Faye Flam,
Scientific American,
7 May 2026
Adverb
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Hand says that a couple of errors that can make randomly occurring patterns look deceptively connected.—
Faye Flam,
Scientific American,
7 May 2026
-
The trial, funded by Moderna, included more than 40,000 adults ages 50 and up who were randomly assigned to get the mRNA vaccine or one of four standard flu shots during the 2024–2025 flu season.—
Berkeley Lovelace Jr,
NBC news,
6 May 2026
Adjective
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In that case, most areas will see scattered rain, but the more robust cells could produce brief, heavy downpours.—
Ahmad Bajjey,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
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There are a few, scattered references to female gladiators.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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According to Sánchez Blanco, González López oversaw the machinery that allowed arbitrary arrests, torture and the defiance of judicial release orders to occur.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
11 May 2026
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The day itself may be arbitrary, but the sentiment behind it is not.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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By the time officers arrived, the situation had escalated into what officials described as an active shooter incident, with the suspect walking down the middle of Memorial Drive and firing in an erratic manner as traffic came to a halt.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
12 May 2026
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In a video about an erratic Uber driver, a recognizable dynamic—awkward small talk, impatience to set off—escalates into a life-threatening one.—
Alex Barasch,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Haphazard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/haphazard. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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