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
-
For the sequence when Carol frantically drives away from the hospital, Adams designed a new system with an LED screen that went on front of the truck with a cap on top, so all the light when Carol is driving comes exclusively from the LED screen.—
Matt Minton,
Variety,
4 June 2026
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As avid basketball fans frantically search for highly coveted tickets to the post-season matchup, prices have skyrocketed to attend in person, ranging from courtside at over $42,000 to the cheapest nosebleeds at just under $1,000.—
Kelly McCarthy,
ABC News,
1 June 2026
Adverb
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Barely 24 hours later, with Tech down 1-0 in the series but clinging to a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth, shortstop Hailey Toney fielded a sharp grounder to her right, pivoted to make the easy throw to third base to get out of the inning — and missed wildly.—
Stewart Mandel,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
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Just 20 miles north of Sioux Falls, a quick detour off I-90 leads to a landscape that feels wildly out of place—in the best way.—
Taryn Shorr-Mckee,
Midwest Living,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hectically.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hectically. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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