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
-
Our soldiers will have to put their lives on the line to defend his reckless decisions.—
Joseph Morton,
Dallas Morning News,
28 Feb. 2026
-
This reckless action puts American troops at risk and edges us toward a wider regional war.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
28 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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Instead, the Slovenian James Harden is showing the exact same limitations and attitudes that saw Dallas frantically dump him.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
27 Feb. 2026
-
People hurl wooden crates overboard, tumble off rafts, and frantically don life jackets—sometimes all at once.—
Kristen Geil,
Outside,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Keanu Reeves is back as Canadian daredevil toy Duke Caboom.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
23 Feb. 2026
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The tower is massive — roughly twice the height of the Eiffel Tower — and Shiloh Hunter (Virginia Gardner) is an influencer known for sharing daredevil climbing clips.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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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
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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
-
The model paired her lighter brows with a few daring looks throughout the photoshoot.—
Meg Walters,
InStyle,
25 Feb. 2026
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From a tech and visual standpoint, the Air Flightposite 3 may be one of the most daring designs in the entire Foamposite franchise.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
24 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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Texas’s wildly divergent polls have found everything from a Talarico surge into first place to a solid Crockett lead.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
2 Mar. 2026
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March is very much a winter month in the Upper Midwest, though the weather can vary wildly.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harum-scarum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harum-scarum. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
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