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
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
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
-
Instead, the Slovenian James Harden is showing the exact same limitations and attitudes that saw Dallas frantically dump him.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
27 Feb. 2026
-
People hurl wooden crates overboard, tumble off rafts, and frantically don life jackets—sometimes all at once.—
Kristen Geil,
Outside,
24 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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But the band’s sound is also a moving target; each album so far has been wildly different from the last.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
8 Mar. 2026
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Lauren was even outscored by her little sister Sienna, who Lauren wildly cheered while standing in front of the bench.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hectically.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hectically. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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