as in frantically
in a confused and reckless manner
a moth kept banging hectically against the screen, seeking the light on the other side
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Recent Examples of hectically
When Grace first awakens on his ship, the film cuts hectically around, above, and below him, as if to approximate his mental and physical disorientation.
—
Justin Chang, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
Tanner plunges into these ostentatiously autobiographical roles, heedlessly, hectically and without a psychiatric net.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
The old Helena would have mumbled something under her breath, hectically pressed the call button a few more times, and fled the situation as quickly as possible.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
Justin Chang, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
Tanner plunges into these ostentatiously autobiographical roles, heedlessly, hectically and without a psychiatric net.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
The old Helena would have mumbled something under her breath, hectically pressed the call button a few more times, and fled the situation as quickly as possible.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hectically
Adverb
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The mid-majors have responded by frantically pumping money into their revenue-sharing and NIL budgets.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Mar. 2026
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Before the collision, an air traffic controller can be heard on airport communications frantically telling the fire truck to stop.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
24 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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It’s told through the lens of two aspiring writers pitching their wildly inaccurate musical about the invention of the printing press.—
Ross Raihala,
Twin Cities,
29 Mar. 2026
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Since that date, energy markets have swung wildly, including some of the biggest one-day moves for oil since the war in Ukraine broke out in 2022, and volatility has spiked.—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hectically.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hectically. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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