1
as in hurried
acting or done with excessive or careless speed
a bill that was pushed through committee in a last-minute helter-skelter burst of legislative activity
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in random
lacking a definite plan, purpose, or pattern
papers, books, and unopened mail were stacked helter-skelter on the desk
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in frantically
in a confused and reckless manner
the sheep ran helter-skelter inside their pen when the coyote appeared in their midst
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in randomly
without definite aim, direction, rule, or method
goods arranged helter-skelter on the shelves of the variety store
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in commotion
a state of noisy, confused activity
in the helter-skelter at the amusement park the child got separated from his parents
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of helter-skelter
The Enquirer, 25 Feb. 2023
After a helter-skelter start, Mr. Vovk and his top managers reorganized.
—Patricia Cohen, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2023
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Mar. 2026
Amazon may not be worth as much as Anthropic soon because one is focused and the other is helter-skelter.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 8 Feb. 2026
And, with seven defensive backs plus linebacker Tremaine Edmunds protecting the end zone, Jarrett found himself in the middle of a helter-skelter three-man rush.
—Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
Its regularity and rhythm cut against a helter-skelter modernity that has neither.
—Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2025
On a day when the Valkyries were stuck in neutral, her helter-skelter play-style and willingness to bomb away from deep was one of the team’s few bright spots.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 28 July 2025
His mouth is closed and fixed in a humorless grin, concealing the eating machine within eight rows of long, hollow teeth arranged helter-skelter in each rank like thorns on a dead rose.
—Pat Smith, Outdoor Life, 24 July 2025
California continued the helter-skelter Challenger weekend, topping Nashville in a DB 22-20.
—Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
Meanwhile, the Nuggets showed their championship mettle in a helter-skelter win in the final seconds.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 May 2025
Adjective
The opening quarter-hour produced a fast but helter-skelter showing.
—The Enquirer, 25 Feb. 2023
After a helter-skelter start, Mr. Vovk and his top managers reorganized.
—Patricia Cohen, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2023
Adverb
Inspired by the helter-skelter brickwork of Chiang Mai's crumbling temples, their façades feature masonry laid in intricate motifs and wooden lattices that create beautiful shadowy patterns when the sun hits.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Mar. 2026
Amazon may not be worth as much as Anthropic soon because one is focused and the other is helter-skelter.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 8 Feb. 2026
And, with seven defensive backs plus linebacker Tremaine Edmunds protecting the end zone, Jarrett found himself in the middle of a helter-skelter three-man rush.
—Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
Its regularity and rhythm cut against a helter-skelter modernity that has neither.
—Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2025
On a day when the Valkyries were stuck in neutral, her helter-skelter play-style and willingness to bomb away from deep was one of the team’s few bright spots.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 28 July 2025
His mouth is closed and fixed in a humorless grin, concealing the eating machine within eight rows of long, hollow teeth arranged helter-skelter in each rank like thorns on a dead rose.
—Pat Smith, Outdoor Life, 24 July 2025
California continued the helter-skelter Challenger weekend, topping Nashville in a DB 22-20.
—Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
Meanwhile, the Nuggets showed their championship mettle in a helter-skelter win in the final seconds.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 May 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for helter-skelter
Adjective
-
Then in the final seconds of the period, Merrimack turned the puck over in their own zone but Jack Galanek could not stuff his hurried shot home.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Pre-existing structures, supported by documentation and commercial logic, carry far more weight than hurried adjustments made after funds are already exposed.—
Ascend Agency,
New York Daily News,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The air rang with random alarms; the soft surfaces were mottled with mystery stains.—
Ellen Cushing,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The sentence, arrived at via a sequence of random numbers thrown out by the group itself, begins the eighth paragraph of page 432 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.—
Séamas O'Reilly,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
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
-
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
-
These options let the computer randomly generate numbers for you.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
-
However, in most cases, the chemical groups that bind CO2 are randomly distributed, making performance unpredictable.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Despite the initial commotion, Julie’s case went cold.—
Annalise Peterson,
NBC news,
21 Mar. 2026
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During the commotion, Gamel Kheir, the mosque’s secretary, pleaded for calm.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Little emphasized the need to ease property taxes in a letter accompanying his signature but criticized Moyle’s approach as rushed and overly complex.—
Mark Dee
March 6,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Mar. 2026
-
May 21 – June 20 Steady, thoughtful sentences are your friend — skip the rushed word vomit!—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
18 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Earlier sunshine way to clouds and scattered rain as the first, in a series, of passing systems brings brief wet weather to Maryland.—
Cutter Martin,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
-
And in legislative committees and in debate on Wednesday, sponsors of the new requirement didn’t cite evidence of more than scattered cases in which non-citizens may have voted.—
Anthony Man,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
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
-
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
“Helter-skelter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/helter-skelter. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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