hell-bent (on or upon)

adjective

ˈhel-ˌbent How to pronounce hell-bent (on or upon) (audio)
Definition of hell-bent (on or upon)next
as in determined
fully committed to achieving a goal she's hell-bent on a career in show business and heaven help anyone who gets in her way

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hell-bent (on or upon)
  1. determined
  2. intent
  3. resolute
  4. decisive
  5. positive
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, Machado remains determined to restart the push for free elections.
    — John Otis, NPR, 16 July 2026
  • On the few occasions Mbappe was able to get into the box, the Real Madrid striker was swarmed by multiple defenders as Spain was determined to make anybody else defeat them.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026
Definition of determined
Adjective
  • Her son, Telemachus (Tom Holland), an infant when his father set off for war, is now a young man intent on driving out the suitors—a primordial coming-of-age plot.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 15 July 2026
  • Megan Rapinoe, whose name Americans only know because of women's sports, seems oddly intent on destroying women's sports now that she's retired.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026
Definition of intent
Adjective
  • That approach has totted up 38 unbeaten matches and created a resolute backline – another key trait of almost all World Cup winners – through pragmatism-by-possession.
    — Chris Evans, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • An extremely wacky third-place game The World Cup final tends to be a nervy affair, often marked by cautious attacks and resolute defending.
    — Alex Kirshner, New York Times, 19 July 2026
Definition of resolute
Adjective
  • However, Korotaev leans on the side of doubting any decisive impact from Fedorov.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 16 July 2026
  • The 6-foot-4, 211-pound Mestemaker was a fearless, decisive thrower last year in North Texas’ Air Raid system.
    — Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 15 July 2026
Definition of decisive
Adjective
  • Vanessa Haydon hasn’t given an update on her battle with breast cancer in a few weeks, but the news is apparently positive.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026
  • One out of five patients presenting to emergency departments screens positive for food insecurity across multiple urban studies.
    — Cole Hanson, STAT, 16 July 2026
Definition of positive
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

hell-bent
hell-bent (on or upon)
hellcat
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Cite this Entry

“Hell-bent (on or upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hell-bent%20%28on%20or%20upon%29. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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