1
as in malfunctioning
not being in working order
The website went haywire when it was overloaded with visitors seeking tickets.
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mad
unable to think in a clear or sensible way
She gradually went haywire with grief after the tragic death of her husband.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in amuck
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for haywire
Adjective
-
Another set piece involving a malfunctioning chair lift is excruciatingly tense.—
Emily Palmer Heller,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Don’t be mad, and don’t try to hold them back with guilt.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Karl turned on the headlights and got the windshield wipers going at a mad slap.—
Ann Patchett,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Barring any ties, there will be eight artists or tracks nominated in each of these four divisions (versus five for all the down-ballot categories).—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
1 Oct. 2025
-
But now, resort taxes are down while national hotel revenues rise, and violent crime is up as Miami sees declines.—
Miami Herald staff,
Miami Herald,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Names and backstories are different, but in Pynchon’s text, stoner pianist Zoyd Wheeler is taking odd jobs and government disability checks obtained by staging regular psychotic episodes, when federal agent Brock Vond drives him and his 14-year-old daughter Prairie from their home.—
Rory Doherty,
Time,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Lockjaw is Bob's psychotic, longtime nemesis, who is obsessed with finding him and his daughter.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Hydroplaning happens when a vehicle starts sliding uncontrollably on wet roads.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Hydroplaning is when a vehicle starts uncontrollably sliding on wet roads.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Since Buzzard's Roost opened in 2023, the staff has experienced unexplained broken glasses, books falling off the shelf and many elevator and electronic glitches.—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The Wednesday night attack at the apartment in the 2800 block of Corabel Lane began as an argument between the husband and wife over a broken personal computer tablet, officials said.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The first game famously took thirst-trap renditions of the Greek pantheon and imbued each figure with an insane amount of charm.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Starting the competition off with a bang with the cape and then moving right into killing the athleisure [challenge] was just insane.—
McKinley Franklin,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
That seems like a crazily low number of songs.—
Carson Blackwelder,
People.com,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Guessing crazily at the future, the gambler is granted, briefly, the gift of now.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
4 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Haywire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/haywire. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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