1
as in down
not being in working order
The website went haywire when it was overloaded with visitors seeking tickets.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 uncontrollably
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of haywire
Billy Perrigo, Time, 28 Oct. 2025
The Baltimore Orioles' season went haywire fast after a disappointing offseason that saw ace Corbin Burnes walk, and with no real replacement added to their pitching staff.
—Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for haywire
Adverb
Robot meltdown — The LLMs also sometimes went haywire in unexpected ways.
—Billy Perrigo, Time, 28 Oct. 2025
The Baltimore Orioles' season went haywire fast after a disappointing offseason that saw ace Corbin Burnes walk, and with no real replacement added to their pitching staff.
—Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for haywire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for haywire
Adjective
-
For minor sports, there is a down side to schools paying athletes playing for high-revenue programs like football and men’s basketball.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Pedal to Shady Lane Cellars and Three Trees Vineyard, or detour down country roads (follow signage from the main trail) to visit Mawby Sparkling Wines and Black Star Farms, a winery and luxe inn.—
Sarah Miller,
Midwest Living,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In the annals of English football, this shoots close to the top of the list of ridiculous moments, along with Troy Deeney’s mad goal for Watford in the Championship play-offs in 2013 and Sergio Aguero’s Premier League title-winning strike for Manchester City in 2012.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Here's our list of the five best space prison movies (in no particular order, don't get mad at the numbers).—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Hydroplaning is the term for when a vehicle begins sliding uncontrollably on wet roads.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Hydroplaning occurs when a vehicle begins to slide uncontrollably on wet roads.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Despite the accomplishments, Artemis II astronauts had to contend with a more mundane problem -- a malfunctioning space toilet.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Despite the accomplishments, Artemis II astronauts had to contend with a more mundane problem — a malfunctioning space toilet.—
Marcia Dunn,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Netflix’s bracingly nasty action-thriller Apex is a fine addition, plonking the star down in a rugged Australian landscape and throwing nature’s formidable might at her while stirring a psychotic serial killer into the mix.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The risk of a psychotic disorder rose fourfold when highly potent weed was used daily, the study found.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
20 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Thanks to a crazily unlikely accident, the researchers had witnessed a sperm-whale birth and had managed to videotape the entire event.—
Elizabeth Kolbert,
New Yorker,
26 Mar. 2026
-
And still, crazily enough, there are occasional firsts.—
Dan Woike,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
According to Wolcott Animal Control, the dog displayed no obvious signs of trauma such as being hit by car, broken bones, gun shot wounds or other external injuries.—
Kellie Love,
Hartford Courant,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Luckily, most spring leafy greens can withstand a broken petiole or two and recover nicely.—
Anthony Reardon,
Kansas City Star,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Bringing his bag of insane tricks and witty banter to the Wilshire Ebell Theatre for two nights on May 8 and 9, Willman’s crowd work, storytelling and intricate tricks are inspired by everyday life.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Just this insane profanity-laden tirade that went on and on and on.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Haywire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/haywire. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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