as in hurried
acting or done with excessive or careless speed
terrified forest creatures in a headlong retreat from the rapidly spreading fire
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in hastily
with excessive or careless speed
plunged headlong into the crowd in pursuit of the purse snatcher
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in immediately
without delay
had barely finished the last project when we went headlong into the next one
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of headlong
Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 16 Feb. 2026
But with Sleep No More, premiering in Berlin’s Special Midnight section this week, the director makes a headlong plunge into horror — infusing the genre with black comedy and a pointed critique of humanity’s slavish worship of capitalism.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 15 Feb. 2026
Daniel Holz, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
Iran was rushing headlong to acquire a nuclear weapon and was apparently on the cusp of it.
—Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for headlong
Adjective
Few sectors have been transformed by that headlong rush more than global memory.
—Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 16 Feb. 2026
But with Sleep No More, premiering in Berlin’s Special Midnight section this week, the director makes a headlong plunge into horror — infusing the genre with black comedy and a pointed critique of humanity’s slavish worship of capitalism.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 15 Feb. 2026
Adverb
Furthermore, the world is running headlong into an AI arms race, with potentially dire consequences, including supercharging disinformation.
—Daniel Holz, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
Iran was rushing headlong to acquire a nuclear weapon and was apparently on the cusp of it.
—Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for headlong
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headlong
Adjective
-
Inside an intimate pub, however, filling out the scene with empty tables could distract from the hurried, nervous nature of the filmmaker’s original intent.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
-
Staying there feels like stepping back in time to a less crowded, less hurried version of Italy, where old men gather in front of the church to watch the world go by, and families with little kids enjoy a gelato on the terrace of the cafes on the main square.—
Laura Itzkowitz,
Travel + Leisure,
10 May 2026
Adverb
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Important parts of a patient’s history can be too hastily discounted as red herrings; test results can come back that don’t easily fit with the story that has been told.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
-
People sating their desires for food and company no longer need seedy hotels or hastily arranged Facebook events, now that brick-and-mortar spaces like Aikens’s restaurant exist.—
Victoria M. Walker,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
15 May 2026
Adverb
-
The 6-3, 318-pound Hunter, mostly a run-stuffer in college, immediately becomes an important piece on Ejiro Evero’s defense until Wharton returns.—
Joseph Person,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
The airport said that the runway was immediately shut down and that emergency construction crews are on site to determine the cause of the sinkhole and make repairs.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
21 May 2026
Adjective
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As immigration officers arrested her six weeks ago, through tears and a rushed goodbye, Maria de Jesus Estrada Juarez had a request for her daughter.—
Mathew Miranda,
Sacbee.com,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Little emphasized the need to ease property taxes in a letter accompanying his signature but criticized Moyle’s approach as rushed and overly complex.—
Mark Dee
March 25,
Idaho Statesman,
25 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
And if Black passengers dared to pull the curtain aside, the dining car steward would hurriedly pull the curtain closed, or worse.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 May 2026
-
The Spaniard left hurriedly, carrying a frown that owed to a sense of injustice.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Adverb
-
The feel-good story of this 2025-26 season for Ducks should be remembered fondly — and then promptly put behind them.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
Bergstrom accepted the challenge and promptly beat the older male recruiter, rapping out 18 pull-ups while the recruiter could muster only 15.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
One honest budget check can keep the idea useful instead of impulsive.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
23 May 2026
-
This simple question, in the heat of a reaction, where time and capacity seem to vanish, can be the entire difference between a measured choice and an impulsive reaction.—
Patrick Murphy,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Adverb
-
Except rather than giving it to her, Bear impulsively uses it himself.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
11 May 2026
-
Tshisekedi also suggested the sanctions reflected a broader alignment between his administration and Washington, dismissing any notion that the US had acted impulsively.—
Yinka Adegoke,
semafor.com,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Headlong.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headlong. Accessed 25 May. 2026.
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