haywire 1 of 2

adjective

ˈhā-ˌwī(-ə)r How to pronounce haywire (audio)
Definition of haywirenext
1
as in down
not being in working order The website went haywire when it was overloaded with visitors seeking tickets.

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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

haywire

2 of 2

adverb

as in uncontrollably

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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for haywire
  1. down
  2. mad
  3. uncontrollably
  4. malfunctioning
  5. psychotic
  6. crazily
  7. broken
  8. insane
Adjective
  • The down low on domoic acid In recent weeks, dozens of sea lions suffering from domoic acid poisoning have turned up on beaches from Monterey County to Sonoma County — and some fear this is only the beginning.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Stock futures are higher before the bell following a down day on Wall Street.
    — Alex Harring, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of down
Adjective
  • To Hitchcock, the indelible feature of Roosevelt’s Presidency was his desire to protect democratic norms and processes amid crises, even as critics accused him of being a power-mad dictator or a Communist sympathizer.
    — Beverly Gage, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The video has so many of Taylor’s favorite tropes—weddings that turn into a mess, metaphorically breaking glass, red wine spilling, mad women, chatty ghosts, symbolic houses.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of mad
Adverb
  • Alpha 1, who’s most strict about the disease’s suppression, lashes out uncontrollably.
    — Cortlyn Kelly, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Meanwhile, wildfires have been blazing uncontrollably, most notably this week in the New Forest in southern England.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of uncontrollably
Adjective
  • Homeowners reported a swift meeting at which officers discussed a reorganization of their specific duties and the hiring of an elevator expert to fix the chronically malfunctioning, overloaded elevators.
    — Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Watching the first episode of Ultimate Girl’s Trip is like riding in a malfunctioning time machine.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of malfunctioning
Adjective
  • Kratom can produce either stimulating or sedating effects, depending on the dosage taken, and can produce psychotic symptoms, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
    — Phil Helsel, NBC news, 22 Sep. 2026
  • After she was sent back to Los Angeles, Leigh suffered a psychotic break.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of psychotic
Adverb
  • So, in recognition of the country's semiquincentennial, here's a proudly Memphicentric and crazily ambitious if inevitably incomplete list of 250 — count 'em, *250* — Memphis artists and entertainers.
    — John Beifuss, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 2 Aug. 2026
  • And when Andreeva hits one of her crazily creative shots and turns to Martínez for praise, she is met with a smile, and maybe some clapping.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 4 June 2026
Definition of crazily
Adjective
  • Center fielder Andy Pages, who missed a month with a broken hand, returned to the lineup three days ago.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Nine live roaches were counted, six in the gasket of a broken refrigerator still on the cookline and one on the cookline.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of broken
Adjective
  • In particular, users are gravitating towards — and posting their own covers of — the bridge, which finds Williams belting insane high notes.
    — Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Evidently, the Manhunter released gas that drove Antaan’s people insane, forcing many of them to jump to their deaths.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of insane

Browse Nearby Words

hayseed
haywire
hazard
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Cite this Entry

“Haywire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/haywire. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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