as in reckless
having or showing a lack of concern for the consequences of one's actions
a harum-scarum dash through the crowded terminal to make the flight
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in frantically
in a confused and reckless manner
tossed everything harum-scarum from the closet in a desperate attempt to find her shoes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of harum-scarum
Patricia Cohen, New York Times, 4 May 2025
Adjective
Years of harum-scarum borrowing and spending combined with economic wallops from the Covid-19 pandemic, soaring interest rates and inflation helped drive up Kenya’s debt to $80 billion.
—Patricia Cohen, New York Times, 4 May 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harum-scarum
Adjective
-
He was later charged with first-degree reckless endangerment and unlawful discharge.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
11 Apr. 2026
-
But his hands-down, semi-reckless style typically gives opponents a high offensive floor early in the fight, which has always been a concern of mine.—
Brett Appley,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Then seconds later the controller frantically called for the fire truck to stop.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
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In the hours after Haitian President Jovenel Moïse was shot to death inside the bedroom of his mountaintop home, an inner circle of people suspected of being involved in the assassination plot in South Florida and in Port-au-Prince were frantically trying to steer events in their favor.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Children can participate in fishing, particularly on the lake, and daredevil kiddos over eight can try their hand at driving cars at nearby Thruxton Circuit.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Keanu Reeves is back as Canadian daredevil toy Duke Caboom.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
23 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
The Edge Spa, perched on the side of a precipice overlooking Alexander Creek, showcases ingredients grown or wild-harvested on site.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
10 Dec. 2025
-
Most of the region's black walnuts are currently wild-foraged and sold by the pound at local hulling centers.—
Randy Moll,
Arkansas Online,
11 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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And my feeling is that there have been brilliant and daring sketches that didn’t make the cut that should have.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
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Montes is daring, her work unafraid to wrestle with the most complex and foundational ideas, yet doing so on her own terms.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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Still, both stocks have swung wildly, rising and falling by double-digit percentages in single sessions.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
12 Apr. 2026
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Quentin Tarantino’s outrageous revisionist Western is wildly over-the-top, combining the director’s penchant for gratuitous violence and sparkling dialogue with a story that’s pleasingly labyrinthine but nothing if not schlocky.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harum-scarum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harum-scarum. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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