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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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
  • Stock futures are sliding this morning following a down session yesterday.
    — Alex Harring, CNBC, 17 July 2026
  • McMichael might be coming off a down season statistically, but he’s produced in the past with a 26-goal, 57-point season two years ago.
    — Jeremy Rutherford, New York Times, 16 July 2026
Definition of down
Adjective
  • The popularity of those films has set off a mad hunt to unearth the next Parsons or Barker.
    — Brent Lang, Variety, 15 July 2026
  • Trump got mad enough at Graham to release the senator’s personal cellphone number.
    — Will Weissert, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026
Definition of mad
Adverb
  • Hydroplaning occurs when a vehicle begins to slide uncontrollably on wet roads.
    — CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026
  • Hydroplaning is the term for when a vehicle begins sliding uncontrollably on wet roads.
    — STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026
Definition of uncontrollably
Adjective
  • The Orange County District Attorney’s Office has opened an investigation into the owner of a malfunctioning chemical storage tank in Garden Grove that has forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents as fire crews race to avoid an explosion.
    — Sean Emery, Oc Register, 24 May 2026
  • 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
Definition of malfunctioning
Adjective
  • Prosecutors, meanwhile, contend Clancy intentionally planned the killings and was not acting under the effects of a psychotic break, according to the AP.
    — Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 20 July 2026
  • The Drug Enforcement Administration says kratom produces stimulant effects in low doses and sedative effects in high doses, and can lead to psychotic symptoms, and psychological and physiological dependence.
    — Jake Rosenwasser, CBS News, 13 July 2026
Definition of psychotic
Adverb
  • 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
  • The scene used one of the film’s funniest visual gags, an apartment so crazily tilted that nobody inside it could stand up straight.
    — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 17 May 2026
Definition of crazily
Adjective
  • Divine intervention can’t repair the broken social bonds that Odysseus and Penelope (Anne Hathaway) blame for the fall of civilization.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 17 July 2026
  • In 2023, after a park visitor noticed a broken Fury 325 support beam, the coaster closed for six weeks that summer.
    — Catherine Muccigrosso July 17, Charlotte Observer, 17 July 2026
Definition of broken
Adjective
  • To see that journey completely through to the end has been insane.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 22 July 2026
  • The stupidity and greed of the status quo threatens to drive her insane.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 July 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 24 Jul. 2026.

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