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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of headlong
Howard Copenhaver, Outdoor Life, 23 Apr. 2025
While no supporter — surely — would swap any of that frenetic, headlong decade for Tottenham’s inert version of stability, glory becomes addictive.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
South Florida Sun Sentinel, Sun Sentinel, 19 May 2025
The Devils barrels headlong into campy, often overbearing jokiness, with too many catchphrases and one-liners repeated too often that never quite land the way Logen’s do in The First Law, or Glokta’s for that matter.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for headlong
Adjective
My yell must have startled him for a second or two, and my headlong rush kept him off balance just long enough.
—Howard Copenhaver, Outdoor Life, 23 Apr. 2025
While no supporter — surely — would swap any of that frenetic, headlong decade for Tottenham’s inert version of stability, glory becomes addictive.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Adverb
Hopes for a spring bounce have run headlong into economic turmoil.
—South Florida Sun Sentinel, Sun Sentinel, 19 May 2025
The Devils barrels headlong into campy, often overbearing jokiness, with too many catchphrases and one-liners repeated too often that never quite land the way Logen’s do in The First Law, or Glokta’s for that matter.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for headlong
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headlong
Adjective
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Yet in spite of its rather hurried origins, it’s gone on to become a General Motors success story in the quarter-century since it was created.—
Will Sabel Courtney,
Robb Report,
17 June 2025
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And the hurried pace of the deportations has ignored due process, experts and advocates say.—
Savannah Kuchar,
USA Today,
10 June 2025
Adverb
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The budget was hastily passed in the last two days of the legislative session to meet a June 1 deadline.—
Elaine Mallon,
The Washington Examiner,
16 June 2025
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The United States has already seen what happens when a major weather catastrophe arrives shortly after a president hastily rearranges FEMA.—
Zoë Schlanger,
The Atlantic,
11 June 2025
Adverb
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OpenAI and Meta did not immediately respond to requests for comment.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
27 June 2025
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The left-sided centre-back was immediately loaned back to her previous club, PSV, then broke into the Netherlands team at the start of the season.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
New York Times,
27 June 2025
Adverb
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Some of the bribe payments were captured on video and shown to jurors who promptly convicted Jenkins in December.—
June 17,
CBS News,
17 June 2025
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This information is needed to promptly inform you, the international community, and ensure an effective response and assistance to any emergency situation in Iran.—
Andrew Stanton
Jason Lemon,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 June 2025
Adjective
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Written and directed by documentarian Brian Tetsuro Ivie (Emanuel) in his narrative directorial debut, the film tells the story of an impulsive young woman and a reclusive older man who launch on a poignant cross‑country road trip.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
26 June 2025
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Unfortunately, impulsive, inventory-optimization metric chasing often soothes symptoms while elevating strategic risk.—
Noah Barsky,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
Adverb
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One of Pachuca’s best opportunities during the first half came in transition, with Montiel receiving the ball and instantly looking to find Rondon with a searching pass over the top.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
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In practice, the system instantly compares customer data against international sources like the Dow Jones Watchlist.—
Marcin Nowak,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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People often stereotype crypto investors as reckless, young, or greedy.—
Jennifer Jolly,
USA Today,
18 June 2025
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Immigration reform was one of Trump’s most popular campaign platforms, but enough with his reckless and incoherent policy shifts.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
17 June 2025
Adverb
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The Department of Homeland Security, which includes ICE, did not respond directly to a question from The Associated Press regarding its plans for Abrego Garcia.—
BEN FINLEY,
Arkansas Online,
28 June 2025
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Informing Simpson of specific issues raised to him by farmers and growers in the area, Commissioner Kirby Smith asked directly how to curb unwanted development.—
James Wilkins,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Headlong.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headlong. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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